Lyons' Pride
by Skurg
Summary: Winter Daniels and Amata Almodovar have been hurled out of their underground Vault and left to fend for themselves in the ruins of Washington D.C. Alone and not sure what to do with themselves, they find home, family, and duty in the Brotherhood of Steel and begin to work their way to building a brighter future for themselves... above ground.
1. New Year's and Whiskey

"October 23rd, 2077 was the greatest day of my life… I was with my wife and children at home, I was cooking breakfast while they watched cartoons on TV… We all knew it was going to happen. Not the kids, but my wife and I, our neighbors, we all knew that this was coming. It was like a dull headache, always gently pounding in the back of your mind. My youngest kid was only three years old, what I wouldn't have done to protect all of them. How do you explain to a kid why we need to keep five suitcases at the door? Why do we need to take them in the car everywhere we go? Every house had a bomb shelter or an emergency ration kit. Every day people would be going out onto the range. Everybody had a gas mask, a storeroom full of food, and none of it mattered.

"I was cooking when I could hear screaming coming from down the street, then another scream, and another. There was so much yelling, people were bolting out of their homes and going for their cars. I got in the car with the kids and my wife, Elizabeth, and we started to drive. We lived in Springvale, it should have been a twenty-minute drive, but the traffic was all snarled up. People were dragging other people out of their cars, a lot of people died on the highway. Looting, fighting, the desperation was barbaric. The radio was squawking about the end of the world, New York was gone, D.C was next, there was no way it wouldn't be annihilated. And I sat there… thinking… how could I just sit content, living in the capital of a country on the brink of nuclear war? Why didn't I just take them into the country? Why didn't I-

"We ended up just ditching the car… the car and our things. I ran with my three-year-old… Elizabeth had the other boys. We made it to the Vault, and they were just taking in whoever they could. We had our places, our papers in my hands. I shoved my way through the crowd… people were biting… clawing… I heard more guns go off. I shoved my wife and kids in front of me, I just wrangled them to the front of the line. We got in and I heard this tremendous roar, like a car getting crushed. I turned around as we got into an elevator and I saw this thick, heavy door sliding into place. People kept clawing… I saw people with their- The Overseer greeted us, hell he looked about as rough as the rest of us, but he had a cool head. I remember he put his hand on my shoulder and told me that I did good, that all my family was with me. My son was in my arms still, he had a cut on his head and he was crying, but he was alright. Even a hundred feet below I could feel the explosions. I knew the world was ending, it was finally being ripped apart for its sins. All the war, all the greed, the famine, the… the filth!... It felt like I was born again. The Overseer told us that we were chosen, we had made it to the very end. We would be the ones who would survive this horrible day… and we would make it better. He was going to make it better. I looked into his eyes and I knew, that's my guy. Whatever he wants, I'm on it. We owe everything to our Overseer, everything. And we should all be grateful for all the things he does for us… all the sacrifices he makes for us. God bless him, and God bless what is left of our America."

The man talking in the film suddenly disappeared and as the film reel sputtered to a stop, Mr. Brotch turned on the lights. Winter finished answering her final question and looked up in time to see her teacher address his student, most of whom were lifting their heads from their desks and looking around the room in confusion. Winter would have done the same if she didn't desperately need to get a good grade on this test to pass her final testing period.

"Alright, this concludes our scheduled programming. Let's all take a moment to reflect on the pain of the past and appreciate the safety of our present. All of you behave yourselves. Your final exam is tomorrow so I want you all with a clear head, is that clear?"

All Mr Brotch got was a sputter of grunts and mumblings as the group of teenagers stood up. Susie passed her desk and whispered something about meeting her at Winter's house as Winter stood up and collected her things. Out of the twelve kids who were in their final testing class, Winter was the last of three to hand in the completed test. The grade for this test was worth almost nothing, but she needed every mark.

"Hey, Winter," he greeted, "What's up?"

"Hey, Brotch, thanks again for giving me that extension," she awkwardly scratched behind the back of her head before handing him her typed report along with the test.

"What was your assigned topic again?"

"I got the Battle of Anchorage."

"Alright, I look forward to reading it and comparing the writing style to Amata's."

"I actually did it this time," she chuckled, "Burrow's honor."

"Alright, kid, stay out of trouble, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Brotch, I'll see you soon."

Winter zipped up her backpack and left the classroom. Her classmates had already filed out to go to their separate parties. The hallways still had some Christmas decorations up, but New Years was in full swing. She walked past the cafeteria, and even at midday the faint smell of liquor singed her nose. Her Dad was probably finishing off business at the clinic, but there was no way he'd be staying in for the festivities.

Susie was pacing back and forth a few feet away from the door. She looked anxiously back over her shoulder, which Winter was facing anyways. Her ginger hair was tied back in a loose bun and her jumpsuit wasn't pressed. Nobody was too bothered to go to school today. The only thing keeping people in front of the projector was the Overseer's promise of a heavy fine for those that didn't.

"Surprised you bothered to get dressed this morning," Susie joked, her head still on a swivel as she approached the front door to Winter's apartment.

"God forbid you're accidentally seen with me," she muttered and began typing in the password to open the door.

"Yeah well, if you wanna fight my brother then go ahead."

"Your brother fights dirty."

"And you always insist on fighting clean."

"I try to," Winter stepped through and called into the living room, "Dad? You home?"

She didn't get a response. She crossed the living room and down the hall to check his room. The door was open and it was empty. On his bed, her Dad had discarded his doctor's coat and his flask.

"I have booze," she announced as she walked back into the living room. Susie had closed the curtains and quickly approached her.

"Nuh uh," she hoisted the flask above her head, well out of Susie's grip, "Say thank you."

Susie's rolled her eyes before getting on the tips of her toes to give her a quick kiss.

"Cold as ice," Winter hissed playfully. She walked to the kitchen and got two glasses from the kitchen.

"Okay, one shot, then we study."

"Yeah, that's why you closed all the curtains and locked the door behind you. So we could study."

"Well if my Dad walks by…"

"…Yeah, that's fair. Alright… one shot, then we'll get to work."

/

"I have to go."

Winter tensed slightly, her shoulders hitching up slightly and her eyebrows furrowing into a frown. Warm and soft fingers brushed across her cheek, lips pressing against the trail they took.

"Winter?"

Winter opened one eye and peered at her, pretending not to have heard the first part. Susie smiled, moving her fingers to play with a few black locks of Winter's hair to try and fix the mess she had made of it, "I have to go, it's midnight."

"So?" she yawned. She sat up and leaned over to turn on her bedside lamp, accidentally knocking off a history book in the process.

"So my parents will be coming home," she giggled when Winter tried to grab her by her waist, "I need to go," she repeated again.

"Who goes home at midnight? My Dad won't be home until at least three," Winter protested before playfully nipping her ear, "We have plenty of time."

"Don't tempt me or I'll get caught!" she laughed, getting out of bed and picking her jumpsuit up off the floor, "I almost got caught last night, and two weeks before that, I can't risk staying late again. We can hang out not tomorrow night but the next night, we'll watch a movie in the movie room."

"But that's two days from now," Winter whined. She slumped herself down and lay on her back with her head hanging off the bed.

"I need to study, and so should you, as a matter of fact," Susie added, pointing a bobby pin at Winter before putting it in a lock of red hair, "What do you have left?"

"History final and the G.O.A.T."

"Get Amata to help you with history. God knows you need it."

"History is easy."

"Uh huh," Susie hummed, unconvinced as she sat down to put on her boots, "Bet Brotch is looking forward to grading your one-word responses."

"Once upon a time, America and China dropped bombs on each other so now Winter and Susie must be born and raised in an underground Vault so we don't die outside. Boom. Nobody cares, everybody knows, get this out of the way so we can move on with shit that's actually important."

"A+," Susie sighed, checking the time on her watch and looking down at her, "Want to walk me home?"

"I thought we were being all super secretive?" Winter yawned.

Susie rolled her eyes and quickly pecked Winter's lips, "Goodnight, and happy new year. I'll see you on Saturday."

"Mmhmm," Winter hummed. She heard Susie leave the apartment and the metal door hissing shut and locking behind her. Winter rolled over to go back to sleep, almost drifting off when the intercom above her head began to crackle.

"Attention," the Overseer's voice interrupted, Winter rolling onto her back so she could better hear. Something nudged at her back, something cold and metallic. She reached underneath her and gently gripped on one of Susie's rings. She smiled at it and slipped it on her thumb for safekeeping while she listened to the Overseer drone on, "All Vault residents are hereby ordered to return to their residences immediately, any resident who is caught outside of their apartments after half past the hour will be fined fifteen dollars. This is the Overseer, signing off and wishing you a happy 2274 in Vault 101."

It wasn't long after that when Winter heard her father stumble home and disappear into his bedroom. After some time had passed, Winter got up out of bed and crept down the hallway to the living room. Her Dad had left his flask on the kitchen bench. She popped the cap open and wiped the mouthpiece with her shirt, then took a quick sip of whiskey. She scrunched her eyes tight and grunted at the burn, but it was a burn that she'd gotten somewhat used to. She drank the whiskey until the flask was almost empty, which was only a few mouthfuls. The idea in Winter's slightly fogged head was that her father, like most adults in the Vault, would be too drunk to remember how much alcohol was in left in their flasks when they went to bed, and to simply assume that they had drunk however much wasn't in the flask when they woke up that morning.

That did end up being the case, as when Winter woke up the next morning with a mild headache, her Dad didn't mention a word of it to her at breakfast.

"Good morning," he chuckled, watching Winter trudge into the living room and into the kitchen, still half asleep.

"Morning," she grumbled, reaching into the fridge and getting some cold water, "Where's the milk?"

"Ran out yesterday when I had to make coffee, I'm sorry."

Winter shrugged and reached into the cabinet to grab some cereal, "How was last night?"

"Boring and not over nearly fast enough," James sighed, frowning at a small pile of charts.

"What? You didn't try and kiss Beatrice again?"

"Shut your mouth. How was study group?"

"Fine," Winter shrugged again.

"Do you remember what I told you about Stanley?"

"What about him?"

"His heart problems?"

"Yeah, I remember something about it. Why?"

"Do you remember how many hours he said he was working?"

"Around seventy a week, why?" Winter frowned, turning on the tap and pouring water on the cereal.

"I can't read my own writing, I'm sure he said seventy hours as well, but I'll have to- Winter!"

"Mmf?"

"Are you that much of a goddamn pig?"

"What?" she frowned.

"You do not eat cereal with water, Jesus Christ you're sixteen fucking years old, are you that lazy that you can't walk five minutes to the canteen and get a ration of powdered milk?!"

Winter had her back turned to her father, leaning over to look at some history notes while mouthing the words he was saying in a mocking tone, "Food is food. Tastes like cardboard anyways."

She heard him sigh and go back to reading. Winter cleared her throat and frowned, rubbing at her throat.

"You okay?" James asked.

"Sore throat," she explained.

James got up and dug his flashlight out of his pocket. He crossed the room before grabbing Winter's spoon with the other hand, "Let me see."

"Dad, it's fine-"

"Open, for the love of God," James chuckled in exasperation, "Nobody in this Vault complains more than you do when they get sick, and I'd rather save everyone the annoyance. Open."

Winter sighed and opened her mouth, James peering inside.

"Tonsillitis," James concluded instantly, "It's going around. Your friend Susie Mack came in yesterday with it."

Winter's eyes widened, and James bopped her on the forehead with the spoon, "Work on your poker face."

"I-"

"I don't care what you and Susie do during your free time, Winter," James said, "But for God's sake, try not to let her brother or father find out."

"Okay," Winter nodded sheepishly.

"I have to go to work, I'll bring you some medicine tonight with dinner. In return," he pointed his light at her, "I want you to park yourself down here and study. Have Amata over if you want, she might be able to save your grades."

"Yes, father," Winter mumbled with a bow.

"Don't be a smartass," James shook his head, "God knows I have to deal with enough of these people's shit already."

Winter stuck her tongue out at him when he turned his back to her, but nonetheless, she went into her bedroom and grabbed her backpack. Her head was still heavy and memories of last night made studying the absolute last thing she felt like doing. She walked over to the living room and paged Amata's room, "Hey 'Mata, you awake?"

"Didn't think you'd be awake yet," she answered with a little smugness to her voice.

"You wanna come over and study?"

"Yeah, I'll be over in a few minutes. Want me to bring anything?"

"Yeah, can you bring some milk?"

"Ha!" Amata laughed, walking in with a bag full of books over her shoulder and some rationed powder milk in her hands, "You really are studying."

"Hey," Winter smiled, "That was quick."

"Dad's holding an important security meeting, wanted me scarce," she waved the question off, dumping the bag onto the table and opening a book, "What're you studying?"

Winter tapped her pen against the pages and shrugged, "Little bit of everything, I guess. I think I know most of what I need to."

Amata didn't look too convinced while Winter tilted her head to rub her sore neck. When she looked back at Amata, she was grinning and clearly trying to hold back laughter.

"What?" Winter frowned.

"Nothing."

"What?" she repeated, looking down at herself to see if anything was wrong, Amata finally giving in, "You have a hickey on your neck."

"Do not," Winter said, calling Amata's bluff, "Why would I have a hickey?"

"You tell me," Amata giggled, "on your shoulder, lucky your shirt covers it, or your Dad would have gone nuts."

Winter rolled her eyes and pretended to humor her by looking at it in the mirror in the bathroom. Sure enough, Susie had left behind a red mark on her shoulder. Probably a bite? Winter couldn't remember.

"Who was it?" Amata demanded, flipping the book shut and shoving it aside when Winter came back.

"Ease off…" Winter laughed awkwardly while adjusting the hole of her shirt to properly cover it, "Go back to studying."

"Nuh uh. Who? Kristy? Alice? Mary? Georgie? Sam?"

"… Susie."

"I knew it!"

"Here we go," Winter muttered under her breath.

"I knew that you two had something together!" Amata yelled.

"Mmhmm," Winter sighed, running her fingers through her hair again. It needed cutting. Again. Winter hated it going below her ears. She always liked having it short. It was longer when she was a kid, but Butch kept yanking at it whenever they fought, so she kept it religiously trimmed from then on. It looked scruffy, her Dad and teachers often comparing it to a mop on a kid's head, but no matter how many passive aggressive remarks Dad made, she liked her hair just the way it was.

Amata smirked and settled herself down again, "So when are you seeing her next?"

"Amata…"

"I know, I know," she said in a hushed tone, "But come on, at least be a little excited."

"I am, but not… you know… freaking out like you are."

Amata laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "If we both know everything about the exam… I was wondering if you could do something for me…"

"Uh huh… What've you done?"

"Butch did it," Amata scowled, "He stole my notebook."

"Butch stole your notebook. Why? God knows he won't use it."

"I don't know, for fun, I guess. I need you to pick the lock for me."

Winter groaned at the work ahead. Each door in Vault 101 was designed for a resident's safety and privacy in mind, which meant that there was a keypad on each residential door that required a passcode to get through. The DeLoria's, not exactly the most private family living in the facility, had the passcode set to DeLoria, which on a number pad was 3356148. However, when Butch set up the code, he mixed up the numbers, and input one of the numbers incorrectly.

Manually changing the password on a Vault-Tec door was a huge pain in the ass if you didn't know the original password, and no Vault-Tec engineer had neither the time nor the patience to get around to fixing the lock and having to put up with Butch and his mother screaming at each other. So, Butch took to the panel with a screwdriver, pried the console off, and got about figuring out how to hotwire the door open. This amazed anybody in the Vault who knew Butch, who wasn't exactly known for his engineering ability... or common sense. Engineers took one look at the door and offered Butch a chance at becoming an apprentice, but Butch quickly blew it by shorting out the entire grid while trying to short the power out in Winter's room.

Winter, on the other hand, obsessed over anything involving Vault-Tec engineering and often attempted to modify the electrics in her home appliances, including modifying the Vault-Tec doors to give a shock to the person, namely a person named Butch, who tried to break into the apartment by inputting the incorrect code.

A Vault-Tec vault was promised to your standard 2070's American household as the ideal escape from a nuclear holocaust. Winter found the original advertising while rummaging through the movie room film reels to find something she hadn't seen yet. It proudly promised that any survivor (who paid out the nose for it) would have a "brighter future… underground."

Whoever designed this "brighter future" deserved to be hit across the face with the reel the film got developed on. Winter stood at five feet seven inches tall. She was tallish for her age, but not taller than most male adults, and even she could easily jump up and smack the Vault's stainless steel ceiling with both palms. Her preschool teacher, Oliver Phillips, a poor soul at six feet nine inches tall, developed severe back problems from having to walk while hunched over. He was often at Winter's Dad's office for pain medication, and now at 56 he was a sad, shy hunchback very slowly shuffling the halls. Butch coined the term "crypt keeper" which unfortunately caught on with his students until the Overseer made it illegal to say the name.

The hallways were tight too, around ten feet wide, which was prone to congestion during busy times and often made Winter feel claustrophobic. However, it did benefit her being skinny and in good shape, because now could wriggle her way through a small crowd to make it to a late class. The larger residents often struggled to find their way through small openings but made up for it with more weight to throw around. During rush hour, the hallways became like a mosh pit, and you had to be careful you didn't tread on a kid as you struggled to make your way home. The lights made your eyes hurt, it was always a little too cold in the public hallways, the ventilation was terrible and made said hallways smell like someone had farted, even when no one else was there, and the food tasted like cardboard.

Occasionally some of the chickens in the lowest section of the Vault could be served up for dinner, the same with eggs, but otherwise, all the food came from the canned goods Vault-Tec had stored two hundred years ago. The Overseer told anyone who complained that they should be grateful, that their ancestors had been wise enough to make it here, and while the food would not be classified as gourmet like in some of the books Winter and Amata read from the library, it was definitely in plentiful rationing.

"Where's Butch now?" Winter asked Amata as they walked.

"He'd be in the cafeteria with his boys," Amata guessed. Her suspicions were confirmed as they walked past it. Clad in a leather jacket with hair coated with grease, the Tunnel Snakes sat in a group on a table in deep discussion.

"What're they talking about?" Amata wondered as they rounded the corner to the DeLoria apartment.

"Probably gonna tack Mr. Brotch's chair tomorrow and trying to figure out who'll take the fall," Winter figured. She used to worry about Butch and his friends, but after nights like the last, she couldn't make herself worry about things so small. They approached the apartment and Winter reached forward to ring the doorbell.

"What are you doing?" Amata gasped, jerking forward and gripping her by the wrist.

"Ringing the doorbell. What happens if Butch's mom is home?"

"Oh," Amata let go of her wrist and raised her nodded her head in agreement, "Alright."

Winter rang the doorbell and waited. She rung three more times after the first didn't bring anyone to them. She glanced left and right to make sure nobody was watching before quickly jamming the console case with her screwdriver and popping it open. The red and green wires needed to connect, but they were beginning to wear away and might need replacing soon or else the door wouldn't open at all. She quickly connected the wires and the door hissed open. Amata and herself quickly jumped in and shut the door behind them, also shutting the blinds that overlooked the public hallway. Winter found Butch's room easily enough and managed to short circuit his door without having to guess the password. The door hissed open and she found the book, hidden under the bed beside one of Winter's old baseballs and his mother's flask.

"Butchy?" Butch's mother mumbled from across the hallway, "Butchy make me something to drink."

Winter froze. Butch's mother called for him again, this time louder and more irritable. Winter shifted her feet very carefully towards the door and spotted Amata hiding behind the couch in the living room, frantically shaking her head. Winter doubled back and scurried under the bed, hiding behind a few boxes Butch kept stashed under there. She heard the door open and a woman stumble in.

"Goddamn lazy bastard," she grumbled, turning around and shutting the door behind her. Winter didn't move until she was sure Butch's mom had left, then crawled back out of the bed and looked at Amata again.

Amata put a finger to her lips, telling Winter to be quiet, then gestured with her other hand for her to come forward. Winter hotwired the door again. The door made a loud, shrill hiss as it rolled open.

"Butch!" his mom barked, her feet slapping against the metal floor as she hoisted herself up out of bed, "Get your worthless ass into the kitchen and make me a drink!"

But Winter was gone well before Butch's mother could wobble into the living room. The resident side of the front door, the one facing inwards, didn't require a password to open, only to flip a switch. Winter and Amata both sprinted across the main Vault hallways until they had turned at least three corners, then slowed down to a walk.

"Thanks, Winter," Amata sighed while flipping through the notes in the book, "He did some damage but not enough for me to fail anything."

"Wasn't a chore, though Butch's bed fucking reeks," Winter joked while she brushed some dust off of her arms and front.

"You've got some on your back, here," Amata pointed out, brushing the dirt off of the older girl's back and sending a snowfall of dust onto the otherwise clean floor, "What do you want to do now?"

Winter shrugged carelessly, "You want to go to the gym?"

"Ah, no," Amata laughed, "Is Jack still staying at your house?"

"That is the worst code for whiskey ever," Winter smirked, "And no, I drank it all last night."

"Geez, you had a good night," Amata sighed, "All I did was listen to my dad issue a curfew and then watch him grump around the house complaining about how many of us would be hungover the next day. I think he wants to extend the working week as well."

"When you become Overseer can you give us twenty-hour work weeks?"

"Don't," Amata groaned, "I don't want to think about it."

"Yeah, who knows, you might become a tattoo artist after the G.O.A.T tomorrow."

Amata sighed and looked at the floor, "It's going to suck. He'll rig it so I get into management."

"I keep telling you, just say you don't want it. Your Dad'll get over it."

"He wants to hand the keys off to someone he trusts."

"He'll give it to Allen Mack if you don't take it."

"Allen Mack?" Amata frowned at her, stopping walking and looking at her, "Susie's dad. You want Susie's dad to become the next Overseer, and name Wally Mack, Butch's best friend, as his successor? Are you that desperate to be working as a garbage burner and keep getting your ass kicked?"

"The Mack dynasty," Winter shuddered, "Bad idea."

Winter and Amata both ended up going back to Winter's apartment. They studied mostly in silence, listening to the Vault radio and talking while Winter toyed with fixing the sticky dial on her alarm clock. While they were busy with making lunch, Winter was only barely paying attention to an argument moving down the hall. Only when the doorbell rang did Winter realize the familiar silhouette of leather jackets and tall, badly greased up hair leering into the windows.

"Winter Daniels!" Wally Mack shouted, "Get your fucking ass out here."

"Shit…" Winter sighed.

"Call security," Amata ordered, pointing at the emergency console button beside Winter, just above the kitchen tap.

"Yeah, get Susie's dad in the mix, that'll be sweet," Winter sighed, standing up and going to the window, "What's up, Wally?"

As per usual, Wally was standing behind Butch. Never at the front, always partially hidden by his leader. Butch had a bad habit of standing like a drunk idiot, even when stone cold sober. His feet were spread a few inches too far apart to make an intimidating stance look goofy. It was so wide, sometimes he would lose balance and have to catch himself, even while standing completely still. His hair had too much gel, and his folded arms made his jacket stick up and show off a hairy treasure trail that made both Amata and Winter turn their noses up in disgust. If Winter hadn't spent the majority of her childhood trading words and blows with Butch, he would look about as intimidating as a disheveled toddler.

"Open the door," Butch said calmly.

"Why? What's up?"

Wally bared his teeth, "You know damn well what's wrong you fucking-"

"Wally!" Butch almost squealed in delight, "I'm doing the talking, 'kay? You said I could do all the talking."

Wally went quiet. His almighty leader had spoken.

"Now, we can make this quick or we can prolong this, either way, it's fun for me. Guess what Wally found in his sister's diary this morning?"

Winter shrugged, "You wanna dance around the point all day, Butchy?"

"Seems like you've been gallivantin' around with our lovely lady Susie."

"Do you know what gallivanting means, Butch?" Winter frowned.

"It means you've been fucking her, and none of us here really can say that we appreciate it."

"Seems like something the healthy individual wouldn't consider their business, Butch. I'm sorry she turned you down in sixth grade, but we don't have to make this personal."

Butch bared his teeth, "Don't piss this around. Are you coming out or not?"

Winter glanced at Wally, almost flinching at the pure hatred in his eyes. He even had a weird little vein bulging out of his neck, "Yeah… maybe no…"

"You fucked her!" Wally screeched, "Open this fucking door, right fucking now!"

"Fuck you!" Winter shouted, "Susie's my age, we both agreed to it, none of us did anything wrong. You want your sister to be happy, Wally? I like her, I'll look after her and she'll look after me, we'll both make each other happy. Come on, man, you've known me since we were toddlers, for God's sake. We might hate each other but when have I ever really truly screwed you over or ripped you off?"

"Last night, when you fucked my sister!" he spat, "Don't talk about any kind of friendship now, Daniels. Don't hide behind your goddamned walls, come out and settle this."

"Winter…" Amata trailed off behind her, "Call security…"

"Listen, we know the password, Susie told us. You know, Wally, so Susie can slip in here during the night?" Butch was bouncing on the soles of his feet as he spoke.

Winter suddenly realized that Susie wasn't with them. If Susie wasn't with them… she would more than likely be at home… with Susie's Dad, who most likely already knew about this and wouldn't be too happy with Susie either, "Where is Susie?" she asked.

"Susie isn't your concern right now," Butch shook his head, "Don't even think about her."

"Wally, if you so much as fucking pinched her. I will fucking break your nose," Winter growled.

"You did far fucking worse to her than anything I ever did."

"I didn't want this," Winter protested, "I didn't do it to mess with you Wally, you shouldn't have taken it fucking personally."

"And you still haven't learned, you don't fuck with the Tunnel Snakes," Butch grinned, then turned to Wally while reading off a sheet of paper, "The code's 787489."

"480, not 489," Winter corrected, watching Wally input the code. 480 was the wrong sequence, and Wally screamed as the volts ran through his body.

"Amata hit the button for security," Winter sighed as Wally tried the code again, "This is gonna suck."

The door barely hissed halfway open before Wally managed to worm his way through, charging and lunging at Winter with both hands zeroing in for her neck.


	2. Busted

Winter jumped to the side and let him charge into nothing, while she managed to take Butch's incoming hit in the shoulder.

"What the fuck? No fair! Two on one is bullshit!" Amata protested from the kitchen.

"Run, Amata!" Winter ordered, dodging a swing from Wally, "Go get someone!"

Thankfully, Butch and Wally didn't try and stop her. Laying so much as a finger on the Overseer's kid was a death wish, so she managed to slip through and took off bolting down the hall.

"It's been a while," Butch smirked after landing a jab at Winter's gut, "Let me see what you can do, you motherless prick."

"Don't talk about my Mom, you asshole," she growled and swung, the punch landed uselessly on Butch's ribs, landing in such an angle that it did no real damage. It was already going to be a losing fight. Butch and Wally both had almost a foot on her and at least twenty pounds each. They were stronger, and they fought harder, but at least Butch had the sense to let Wally do most of the work, so he would get in the least amount of trouble.

She jumped back to check on Wally and swung a punch, delivering on her promise and busting Wally's nose open. This fight was stupid, this whole thing was stupid. If she was going to end up getting her ass kicked, she might as well get it kicked for Susie. Blood had barely begun to drip from Wally's nose onto the floor before Winter was running for Susie's house. Ducking around a swinging haymaker, she jumped over the couch, went through the door and took off down the hall. She could hear Butch shouting something and running after her, but that didn't matter.

Winter didn't chain smoke like Butch did, and she was far fitter, so the shouting gradually died out. She passed a few other residents on the run over, they all seemed to shy away from her and whisper amongst themselves. She skidded to a halt outside of the Mack residence where she could hear a screaming argument from outside. Winter knew the code to Susie's house, she'd used it to slip in and out of Susie's room enough times. The password still worked, the door hissed open, and Winter ran in without thinking about who was inside. Chief Security Mack, six feet tall and twice Winter's size. Winter began to doubt herself before she turned the corner in Susie's room. She was cowering on the bed, screaming something through her sobs while her father had a grip on her jumpsuit.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Kids like that are no good!" he screamed. Winter spotted Susie black eye, and then nothing else mattered. Winter could take a beating just fine, another one wouldn't hurt. She charged into the room and grabbed Mack by the shoulders and used Susie's bedpost to put her foot against and push off from. Mack wasn't expecting it, and he made a strange "gug" noise when he landed flat on his back. Winter landed on her side and quickly managed to pin him down.

"Get the fuck off of me!" he screamed. He threw a punch that Winter dodged by jerking her head to the side.

"Stop it!" Winter shouted, grabbing him by his wrists, "Fucking-!"

His head surged upward, slamming his forehead full force into Winter's nose. Winter's head whipped back which gave Mack an opening to shove her off of him and slam her down onto the ground.

"Good hit," she heard Butch grin.

Winter groaned and tried to roll onto her stomach to get back onto her feet. Just as she tried to pick herself up, Mack took a step forward and slammed his steel cap boot hard into her guts. The pain was blinding, and it took the breath out of Winter's lungs.

Wally stood over Winter and spat on her face, then put his boot down on her stomach. Wally would never fight fairly, never one on one, and for that, he deserved the swift kick in the nuts Winter gave him. Above the belt rules didn't exist when you were being ganged up on. Wally jerked himself up, stumbling back and making a soft squeaking noise. He hit the ground and began vomiting while Butch began to laugh. Winter tried once again to find her feet, but the searing, white-hot pain from her ribs made her arms give out and instead make her writhe on the floor, "You broke my fucking ribs, you fucking bastard."

"And you broke his balls," Butch said, returning to his calm and collected leader. Winter groaned and spat a mouthful of blood out onto the floor while she heard someone running in from outside.

"Oh Jesus Christ!" shouted officer Gomez. Gomez was a friend of Winter's Dad and a favorite among the Vault. Of all the cops Amata could find that would actually help and not just try to sweep this under the rug, Gomez was the right guy.

"Don't do anything, Gomez," Chief Officer Mack warned, "Just go home. I'm going to take Daniels into custody, she assaulted my son."

"Aww hell, Sir," Gomez sputtered, looking between Susie and Winter, "I don't think I can…"

Winter looked up and saw Amata crouching over her, an ice pack in her hands, "I'm gonna put this on your ribs, okay?"

Winter groaned and nodded.

"You're done, you're fucking done, kid," Chief Officer Mack hissed, his voice breaking, "You trespass on my property? Lay your hands on an officer?! You're done! You're done!"

"Your Dad's gonna be here soon," she heard Amata soothe while she curled herself into a ball to try and relieve the aching pain in her stomach.

"Butch! You stay right here!" Gomez shouted, "Sit down on the couch! Now!"

"Stay still, stay still," Amata said, holding Winter down when she started to rock back and forth, "You might do more damage to your ribs. You're gonna be okay."

"James I'm gonna need you to get here quick," Gomez muttered into his radio, "The Mack's and Winter got into a fight, they're both hurt pretty bad."

"I'm five minutes away," her Dad replied instantly, "For fuck's sake..."

He was there within three minutes. He had his assistant, Jonas, right behind him carrying all the medical gear. By that time Wally was recovering somewhat and could sit upright. Gomez took a statement from Amata, Wally, and then begrudgingly Butch, who for once actually backed up Amata's side of the story, though he chose to dress it up as 'defending Susie's honor' thing. Chief Officer Mack would give his report to the Overseer. James suggested, or rather insisted, that Jonas be the one to treat Wally for his injuries, then walked over and crouched down beside Winter.

"It's alright, Winter," he hushed when Winter groaned again in pain, "It's alright…"

"He got her in the stomach and the ribs," Amata told him as James gently laid Winter onto her back, "The blows were both pretty heavy, apparently, but Winter kicked him in the balls, so he stopped."

"Yeah, a kick would do that," James allowed himself to smirk and look at Winter, "Since when do you kick below the belt?"

"Two against one, all bets are off," Winter grunted when James started to prod at her stomach and ribs, "And he deserved it."

"True… Do you think you can walk to the clinic?"

"Where's Susie?"

"Don't worry about Susie right now, you're in no condition to do anything. I told you not to fuck with them, kid. Now look what's happened."

"Amata…"

"I'll handle it," she nodded, "I'll see you soon."

Amata was moving for her Dad's office while James hoisted Winter up to her feet.

"Motherfucker," she grunted.

"Yes, yes, I know. You're very brave," James sighed, "Come on, it's only a few minutes' walk."

"You could be a little more supportive."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

/

An x-ray of Winter's chest proved there weren't any broken or cracked ribs, just three badly bruised ones. Her stomach didn't show any signs of internal bleeding, so James gave her a dosage of pain medication and Winter hobbled along to the Overseer's office for a meeting.

She had heard James protesting the meeting when Gomez came to visit. Winter was in a lot of pain and needed at least a day to rest before she could endure a long, brutally boring meeting with the Overseer. However, the Overseer seemed to want the entire ordeal out of the way as soon as possible. Her classmates, including Amata apparently, were taking their exams right now, no doubt talking about the fight as well. Winter would like to think she won the fight, but kicking Wally in the balls probably didn't help her case, no matter how hard she tried to justify it.

Two guards stood on either side of the office behind the Overseer's desk, and another two stood outside the door. The Overseer himself sat at his desk when Winter hobbled in. Sitting on one side of the room was the Mack family, Wally, Chief Officer Mack, and Susie. Susie looked like an absolute mess, and Winter couldn't even look at her without wanting to rip Allan apart. Her cheeks were swollen, she had a black eye and her face was strewn with dried tears. James tightened his grip on Winter, to warn her to stay calm and quiet. She sat down at one of the two remaining chairs, trying not to hiss in agony as her ribs screamed in protest. James sat down between her and Allen, probably a wise decision. The Overseer slowly and calmly reached over and adjusted the small recording device so it sat in the middle of the desk, then just as calmly opened a folder and retrieved a pen from the small cup of pens. He uncapped it, licked the tip once to stimulate the ink, then slowly pressed the recording button and began to speak.

"Vault 101 report number eight thousand and twelve. Overseer Alphonse Almodovar holding a hearing for accusations of assault by Winter Daniels against Wallace and Chief Officer Allan Mack. Attending the meeting is Winter Daniels, James Daniels, Allan Mack, Wallace Mack, Susie Mack. First responding Officer in attendance is Officer Gomez. Officers acting as bailiffs in this case are Officer O'Hanlon, Officer Armstrong, Officer Mendez, and Officer Michaels.

"I want this meeting to be civilized, I will not have any physical or verbal violence. Anything of the sort and I'll throw the offender into a jail cell and we can try this again tomorrow," The Overseers words were patient, yet firm, "I want everyone to be talking in the same volume of voice as I am, nobody will raise their voice, and everyone will wait their turn to speak. Is this understood?"

"Yes Overseer," everyone answered, in varying degrees of pain.

"Now, from what I can gather, Miss Mack and Miss Daniels spent the night together last night and some nights before then. Officer Gomez has compiled a statement from Miss Mack and Miss Daniels and has confirmed that the sex was consensual, so we won't be hearing allegations of anything but. Now, from Gomez's statements compiled from Mister DeLoria and Miss Almodovar, Mister Mack and Mister DeLoria came to Miss Daniel's apartment and proceeded to threaten and physically assault Miss Daniels for engaging in sexual conduct with Miss Mack. Now, Chief Security Mack, you allege that things were different?"

"I don't care what Wally did- this little snot-nosed brat came running into my house and put her hands on me."

"He-!" Winter began to yell before the Overseer shot his palm out to silence her.

"Stop," he ordered firmly, "Try again, Winter. Calmer this time."

Winter took a deep breath, a bad idea as she had to clutch at her ribs and grit her teeth. She took a second to gain her composure before speaking, "I was worried about Susie's safety. I thought she would be home. I ran inside her house and found buddy over there-"

"Who?"

"Chief Security Mack. He was screaming at her, and she was cowering on the bed, she'd already had a black eye and- hell I'm not just gonna sit there and let her get more hurt than she already is."

Chief Officer Mack's face went as red as his hair. He white-knuckle gripped at his seat and clenched his jaw so tight Winter could almost hear the sound of his teeth grinding.

"Susie," the Overseer's voice went down to almost a whisper, "Is that true?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Did your father give you that black eye?"

"…Yes."

Chief Officer Mack suddenly squirmed in his seat. The sudden jerking movement made both security officers lurch forward.

"I'm not doing anything!" Mack shouted, then looked irritably at the Overseer before speaking through his teeth, "My son did what was right, and I only acted as a father. With your permission Overseer, I would like to begin emancipation proceedings after this meeting is adjourned for Susie Mack. This kid she's bunking with is no good. I don't know how many times I had to tell my kids. All throughout their childhood, don't associate with Winter Daniels. Her Dad is a drunk, she was deprived of her mother's hold. Straight away she's a bad omen. All she does is fucking fight, drink, and act like a moron. Susie had a good future but hitching to this waste of breath is a goddamned guaranteed ticket to nowhere. Once again, she has gone against my judgment, she doesn't deserve my support, or yours, Overseer."

Everyone in the room seemed to flinch at how cold the statement was

Winter turned to look at him, but he was only looking at his daughter. His eyes were wide and beady, like it took everything he had to not hit her again.

"We're discussing this matter right now, Mack," the Overseer shook his head almost in disbelief, "Now, as to your request, I cannot find any sole reason to charge Miss Daniels for any sort of crime related to this incident. She tried to de-escalate the situation, and to be frank has put more thought into Susie Mack's safety and wellbeing than you have, Chief Officer Mack. She had reasonable suspicion to enter the premises, and she did so at great risk to herself in order to protect someone who she cares about. I do not want this Vault killing each other over matters as trivial as who we choose to spend the night with. Our ancestors chose this place to shield us from the barbarity of the outside, where brothers rip each other apart for one scrap of meat. There will be times where we all have to fight from threats to our Vault, foreign and domestic until then I want us to act civilized. So, my judgment is such, Mr. Wally Mack shall spend three months in the jails for assault, Chief Officer Mack, you will be fined three demerit points for the same crime and will be put on administrative leave while I try to figure out whether or not to keep you at your post. I'll deal with Mr. Deloria later today."

"I-" Chief Officer Mack began to protest, but the Overseer raised his hand swiftly.

"I have passed my judgment, Chief Officer Mack, if you would like four demerit points I would be happy to give them to you. Miss Daniels?"

"Yes, Overseer?" Winter tried to hide the pain in her voice, albeit not very well.

"I think that it would be best if you did not interact with any male members of the Mack family, I would prefer it if you kept your pacifist attitude for the weeks to come, would you agree?"

"Yes, Overseer."

"Now, I'm granting Susie and Winter both one week's slack for their final exams. However, the G.O.A.T is a fairly simplistic personality quiz that only takes fifteen minutes to finish, and I would prefer that the two of you complete the exam as early as possible. When you two do finish the exam, I'm more than happy to grant Susie status as an adult and grant her an apartment."

Winter spotted Susie's eyes light up. Susie and her family had never really gotten along, even at the best of times they barely exchanged pleasantries passing each other in the hall. All Winter wanted to do was get to her and hug her, and promise that everything would be okay, but she was certain that if she got up and moved so much as an inch toward Chief Officer Mack he would strangle her.

Coward, Winter thought to herself, Well, you're a cripple, but still a coward. Look at how alone she looks.

"I can do my test now," Winter said, "If it's just the G.O.A.T."

"Are you certain, Winter? The pain isn't too much?"

"I'll be fine."

/

"How're you feeling?" Brotch asked, "You don't have to do this now if you don't want to. We can do this tomorrow… or a week from now… whenever you're better."

"I'm good now, how hard can it be? It's a personality quiz."

"Yeah, exactly. And…" he glanced around the room, even though they were the only ones there, "I wouldn't worry about your history test. I want you to know something, you're a good kid. You aren't 'no good'. You stick by your own, and you don't give a shit- pardon my language- about anybody else. You're gonna be something great, Winter."

"Thank you."

"Alright. The Vault's Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test or G.O.A.T is a occupational assessment test that every resident of a Vault is required to take at the age of 16. The test is made up of several multiple-choice questions chosen by our current sitting Overseer. These questions are designed to gauge your critical thinking skills and match you to a career that is best suited for you. You have fifteen minutes to complete this test, I cannot help you with any questions. Your resulting career is determined through a set algorithm, not chosen by myself or any other member of Vault 101 staff. I'm sorry, kid, you already know this but it's a formality."

"It's fine," she grunted.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm good. Why do I have to do this test in pencil?"

"I… ran out of pens."

"Okay…"

"You may start now."

The test was easy enough, and Winter was too occupied with worrying about Susie to think about the magnitude of each question. Each question was basically "What do you do in this situation" and "would you do this using this tool or that tool?" It required no kind of study, the Vault determined your fate based on your personality, not your intelligence. Winter knew it was pointless, someone was out to get her. Any person of influence in the Vault only had to murmur in the ear of the Overseer for a kid to be quickly removed from "librarian" to "administrative officer". Her Dad, however, didn't have any pull. The Overseer was luke warm toward him at best, even as the Vault's only doctor he could barely get a nod from the Overseer when they passed one another in the hall.

Winter didn't have any aspirations, not really. Most of her childhood was spent goofing off with friends. She did fine in school, she was decent in math and adored playing soccer, basketball, and baseball in the Vault's sports room, but she didn't drool over poetry and science as the smarter kids did.

Amata was the same, her best friend in the world and born holding the keys to a perfect future. Amata was a good person, so she was polite enough to Mr. Brotch that she at least looked like she was paying attention in his class, but when it came to actual schoolwork, she was okay at best. She was smart, but she knew that there was no way she was going to end up a fry cook. So, when students were working their asses off studying for exams, Amata and Winter would be getting drunk and watching movies in the movie room.

She finished the paper with more than enough time remaining on the test. How hard was it to answer twenty questions that were barely one sentence long? Brotch quickly got up from his desk and helped Winter to her feet, "Here, come on…"

They made their way to his desk, only a few feet away but every step still felt like someone was stabbing her in the side with a spear.

"Here, you're gonna be my last graded paper," Brotch set her down in the chair in front of his desk and took his own see. He took out an ancient, faded chart and measured her answers. He had a small smile on his face, a happy one instead of just courteous politeness, "Hoping for anything?"

"Hoping for something good, I don't want to be a garbage burner, Brotch."

"We save that kind of work for Tunnel Snakes," he joked lightly, "Don't tell anybody I said that. Promise?"

"Depends. Any openings for an Outside Explorer?"

"Not for a long time, I'm afraid," Brotch sighed, "And quit blabbering about it, the Overseer will get annoyed and make you watch those Survivors Tapes again."

"Understood, sir."

He wrote down a few markings Winter didn't understand on her test, then flipped the paper so she could see, "Congratulations Winter, you're an engineer."

"Engineer?" she stuttered, "I… hell I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, an engineer doesn't have to know a lot of history, they have to be good at problem-solving, they have to handle responsibility. You'll be good at it. I spoke to Stanley today, he isn't thrilled about what happened to Susie."

"Oh… yeah… I forgot about Stanley." Stanley Armstrong was the head engineer of Vault 101, and also Susie's grandpa.

"Why did you talk to him?"

"He was telling me that Susie, and probably you as well, weren't going to be present for our exams. Go see him tomorrow and get your books. He's a good man, he understands. More importantly, he doesn't think you're 'no good'. I want you to remember that, Winter. We won't be seeing much of one another anymore, but I need you to know that you're good. Say it."

"I'm good."

"Alright, just sign the bottom of your test here," he handed her a pen.

"Thought you'd lost all your pens?" Winter frowned as she signed her name.

"Found it," he shrugged. Once she was finished, Brotch stood up and held out his hand, "Good luck, kid."

"Thank you."

Winter left the classroom unsure of herself. She looked down at the paper assigning her to be an engineer. Was it something she wanted? She was still debating it when she hobbled around the corner and almost walking straight into Susie.

"Holy shit!" she gasped, doubling over in pain from accidentally tensing her chest, "You scared the shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry!" Susie gasped, rushing over and grabbing her shoulder to support her, "Are you alright?"

"They aren't broken, I'll be fine. Just… I wanna go home."

"I got my apartment. Can you stay with me tonight?"

"Sure…" she croaked, "So long as you can drag me there by my feet, I'll be happy to."

"Is it that bad?"

"No, no I'm just being an ass," she just barely managed to give Susie a small smile, "C'mon, let's go."

Susie's apartment was located a floor below her family's apartment. It was mostly unfurnished, and it was dusty from a few months of misuse, but it had a bed, and that was all Winter cared about.

"Just dump me here," Winter nodded. Susie had been helping her walk by keeping an arm around the small of her back while Winter kept an arm around Susie's. It was a slow walk, only made worse by their other Vault residents stopping and staring, none offering to help. Winter didn't' think any of them were giving judgmental looks, not exactly. The people her age liked Susie and Winter well enough, but the adults always tried to keep Susie at arm's length. Same with Amata, Susie was the kid of a powerful Vault 101 official, and the only thing Winter didn't want more than another kick in the guts was having to deal with the Vault's vicious gossip circle. Living in an underground Vault, with eight hundred people, and no current plans of ever going to the surface, gossip was worth more than any ration slip.

"Why do I hang out with you and Amata?" she whined as she was carefully placed on the bed, "All it does it get me blacklisted and my ass kicked."

"Me? Because I bang you. Why you still hang out with Amata I'll never know."

"You like Amata."

"I do, but I'm amazed the Overseer was as fair to you today as he was. He hates you."

"Not more than he hates Mack overreaching with his power."

"Yeah well…" she lay down next to her, "I won't have to worry about it much anymore, will I?"

"I'm sorry that this happened to you," Winter murmured, rubbing her girlfriend's shoulder and holding her close.

"I still have you, don't I?" Susie asked.

"Of course," she promised, "I'm not going anywhere."

Susie hummed and rested her cheek against Winter's shoulder, "Then I'll be fine."

Winter pressed a kiss against her ginger hair and glanced down at the bag by the bed, "That's all you brought?"

Susie nodded, "Oh! Shit! What did you get for the G.O.A.T?"

"You wanna guess?"

"Garbage burner?"

"Very funny."

"Well… probably a doctor, like your Dad."

"Wrong again."

"Really? I have no idea? Oh! Gym teacher!"

That actually wouldn't have been too bad. It made Winter more excited than engineering, anyways.

"I got an engineer."

"Really?!" Susie grinned happily, "Engineer?!"

"Yeah. What did you get?"

"I got middle school teacher."

"Nice," she smiled, "You'll be good at that. You have that kind of patience."

"Mmhmm, I start training for it tomorrow," she lay back down and pressed a few soft kisses along her cheek.

"Don't-" Winter hissed when Susie instinctively reached over to put an arm around her and accidentally brushed across her ribs.

"Oh shit," Susie gasped "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Winter shrugged, "And… I'm not with you just because you bang me, you know that, right?"

Susie nodded and kept pressing gentle kisses. Winter closed her eyes to begin to drift off.

"Oh! Shit, I forgot to tell you!" Susie eagerly sat up, "Don't go to sleep, Amata's coming over we're going to celebrate!"

"Celebrate? What're we celebrating?"

"Our G.O.A.T results, you dummy," she tapped Winter's forehead, "She managed to snag a bottle of whiskey."

"Great I'll just drink with my painkillers, what could go wrong?"

"You'll be fine. Besides, been fifteen minutes since you last saw her, so I bet she's going crazy with worry."

"Don't do that," Winter mumbled.

"Don't do what?"

"You get all jealous."

"I do not."

"Yes you do," she smirked, reaching up and nudging her cheek, "Whenever she hugs me, your little rosy cheeks get all flustered."

"Shut up," she smirked.

"Awww poor little Susie is all jealous," Winter teased in a sing-song voice.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can't hit me. It'll hurt too much."

"No, I'll wait until you're stronger before I can hit you for that. What's Amata's deal?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know… does she have a crush on anybody?"

"Susie for fuck's sake-"

"No, I know that… I know that you're not the type to cheat, that isn't what I was asking. Does she like anybody?"

"I don't think so, no. She would tell me if she was."

"Has she ever?"

"I… don't think so. I think she's kind of closed that door for herself. Nobody wants to touch the Overseer's kid, and the amount of shit she's gotten for it didn't do wonders for her self-esteem. You and I are probably the closest friends she has."

"Well yeah, you've been around her since she was four hours old when your Dad brought you in because he couldn't get a sitter."

"I saw her before her own Dad did, that lazy prick."

"Hey, he vouched for you today."

"Yeah, you're right. I need to say thank you or something. But listen… we both need to have 'Mata's back, alright? Put the teasing, gossip shit aside for a second."

"Never."

"Susie!" she giggled, despite the pain, "Come on. She got management, right?"

"Of course she did."

"Then she's only gonna get more shit from guys like Butch for being a toady. We need to be there for her, yeah?"

"Yes, Winter. I know," she gently gripped Winter's hand, like she was made of glass, and raised her arm to kiss her fingers. Susie frowned at something, then looked at Winter's fingers, her thumb still housing Susie's ring. "Thief."

"You left it behind," she protested, putting on her best innocent smile, "I was keeping it for you."

"Mmhmm," Susie murmured, moving her thumbs down and slowly brushing them across Winter's knuckles and touched her nose, "You took a fucking beating for me, I can't fucking believe it."

"Of course I did," Winter smiled, as Susie dropped down to hug her, "Fucking- Susie!"

"I'm sorry," Susie whimpered and lifted her weight off Winter's chest. Susie looked at her for a moment, suddenly nervous with darting eyes. She opened her mouth and quickly closed it again.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I love you."

"I love you too," Winter uttered, "I've got you, Susie. I promise."

"I know. I've got you too."

They lay in silence for a moment until Susie's doorbell rang.

"Come on, no more sappy shit," Susie sat up and began to help Winter, "Let's go get fucked up."


	3. The Escape

Three years later

Winter felt the bed dip and a small, frustrated sigh escape Susie's lips. She rolled over and was delighted to see paint up and down her girlfriend's arms, "What the fuck is that?"

"Paint," Susie muttered, throwing her arm against the bed limply, "Fucking fingerprinting."

Winter laughed and rolled over to go back to sleep.

"Thanks for the support, honey," Susie huffed irritably.

"I didn't know it was so traumatizing to finger-paint with five-year-old's all day," Winter shrugged, holding up her hands to show a few band-aids on her fingers from either scrapes or cuts, "I'll give you something for the pain tomorrow morning."

She could feel Susie glaring at her.

"Hey," Winter turned, putting on a soft voice.

"Don't," Susie scowled.

"Did you have a bad day?" she pouted, slowly scooting ever so slightly to her.

"Winter I just want to go to-"

"Nope-" Winter clicked with her tongue, pouncing and pulling her close, "Don't go to bed mad, you said it to me last week."

"I'm not mad," Susie mumbled, wriggling in Winter's grip.

"Nuh uh," she grinned, "You wouldn't leave me alone last week when I was mad at you for burning dinner. Fair game applies here."

"No, baby... don't," Susie sighed, gripping Winter's wrist when it moved downwards, "In the morning, I'll fall asleep halfway through if we start now."

Winter nodded and slipped away from her, "I'll be leaving early tomorrow, but sure."

"I can't control how tired I am," Susie muttered.

"I'm not complaining," Winter frowned.

"Sure," Susie yawned.

Winter rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw, both of which Susie didn't see because the redhead had rolled away to go to sleep. Now in a shit mood, she got up out of bed and got dressed.

She walked to her office, being stopped only once by a patrolling guard who quickly sent her on her way when she bullshitted about a power grid issue she was called to fix. She slumped down into her chair in her office and thumbed through her to-do list, which happily enough seemed to be getting shorter and shorter. Just as she began to check the water grid status on her terminal, Stanley wandered into the office, his radio blaring away at his hip.

"Ha! You're awake?" Stanley chuckled, "What're you working on?"

"Mrs Phillips was complaining of a lack of pressure in her shower, I'm trying to find the fault in our water grid if there is one."

Stanley shrugged, "There's always gonna be a fault in the grid. I'll place an order to flush it out tomorrow at midnight, and I'll issue a warning, so if anyone's sitting on the toilet at that time they don't accidentally get shot in the ass with a jet of water if someone does it wrong."

"That was one time," Winter laughed, "And I didn't do it on purpose. Chief Security Mack just so happened to be on the toilet at that time, I had no way of knowing."

"Uh huh," he smirked, "You don't stay up too late, you hear?"

"I hear," she sighed.

He left, and Winter went back to work, doing little odd jobs to try and tire herself out. This time of day was always quiet, everyone was asleep and unable to break anything. The grids so far were all stable, and tomorrow looked like it was going to be relatively quiet. Her radio stirred at her hip, which at this time of night was never good.

"Uh, Winter or Stanley… I have a situation here," Officer Gomez said awkwardly.

"Winter on shift, what's up, Gomez?" she responded as she heard a female yelling in the background.

"I'm with Miss DeLoria, she seems to have forgotten the password to her-" he began to warily explain before he was cut off by a scowl from the woman beside him.

"I don't understand why you have to fucking have a fucking password for everything here! Fuck you! Get that fucking bitch to change the password now!"

There was silence on Gomez's end for a moment, Winter glancing down at her walkie with an amused smile on her face, then Gomez spoke, "Winter, would you be so kind as to please change the password, so Miss DeLoria can retire for the night. Please?"

"With pleasure," Winter muttered, tapping away at her terminal, "Miss DeLoria is reminded that her password is 11111. Five presses of the keypad, one each for her son's name."

"Thank you, Winter," Gomez said politely as the door hissed open.

"You are most welcome, Officer Gomez, be sure to wish Miss DeLoria a good night's rest on my behalf."

"Gladly."

Winter leant back in her chair and threaded a hand through her jet black hair, the hair her mother gave her. She looked at her reflection in the computer monitor carefully. Her father always said that Winter looked exactly like her mother, save for her eyes, she had her Dad's deep blue eyes. She tried to distance herself from the reflection to age herself thirty years and imagine her mother. Winter's mother had died giving birth to her, so she never had any memories of her to miss, but she still felt empty when she saw her friends talk about their mothers. Her father tried as hard as he could, but he was always a busy man and throughout her childhood, she would go days without seeing him. The new job only made it worse, it had been weeks since she had time for anything more than a nod whenever they passed through the hall and the very brief prescription for painkillers after her fall.

Winter had spent most of her life away from family, and she had hoped that her life with Susie would leave little chance of lonely nights, but Susie had short patience for Winter's working hours and could be harsh when she was tired. An uneasy feeling stirred in Winter's chest as she thought about what they had said. She loved Susie, more than anything, but she feared what would happen if they separated. She would rather crawl around in the vents repairing frayed wires for eternity than go back to living on her own again. Maybe Amata would let her live with her?

She pushed the thoughts away and instead reached into her drawer and got her planner. She found the page for tomorrow and started work on the little odd jobs she could do just from her terminal when she heard the door hiss open again. Susie was still in her pyjamas and her ginger red hair loosely tied back. Her eyes widened and she folded her arms over her chest in annoyance, "What're you doing in here this late at night? I thought you were in the bathroom?"

"I wanted to get ahead," Winter said, pushing her chair back and looking at her with a small smile, "I'm alright, go back to bed."

Susie slumped her shoulders down and shut the door behind her, "No. We aren't going to be the couple that hides behind work when they're having a problem in the relationship."

"I thought I should leave before it got too heated," Winter explained as Susie walked up to her.

"Stand up," Susie smiled, Winter obeying. She touched Winter's cheek and pecked her lips, "I love you."

"I love you," Winter echoed with a stupid smile on her face that she couldn't control.

"I know that I can be an idiot, and I'll work on that, and I agree that we shouldn't go to bed angry."

"Goddamn, three for three," Winter joked, "First time you've agreed with me on anything for ages."

"Don't push your luck," Susie teased, "I'm going to go back to bed, now that I finally found you. Are you coming, or do you really have to work?"

Winter looked miserably at the workload on her desk, but Susie got up on her toes and snaked her arms around her lover's neck. "Come back to bed," she groaned impatiently in her ear, "The Vault won't collapse if you take four hours to sleep with your girlfriend."

Winter sighed, "You're right."

"No duh," Susie smiled and pecked her cheek, "Come on, honey. Bed."

"Aye aye," Winter followed, Susie leading her by her hand. She stopped and held up the hand that she gripped, "I was looking for that damned ring!"

Winter laughed and wriggled her thumb, which had Susie's black ring coiled around it, "I like it."

"Tell me when you borrow them," Susie sighed, "So you can spare me ripping the bedroom and bathroom apart looking for them."

"Ah sorry," she said sheepishly, "I'll take it off."

"No, keep it," Susie turned her voice soft, "It looks better on you, plus I'm always borrowing your jackets and boots all the time."

"Yeah, you are."

"We'll argue about it tomorrow?"

"Sure," she smirked, wrapping a lazy arm around her shoulders as they walked for home.

/

A few weeks later

"What's with you?"

James turned and made a bad attempt to hide his irritable frown. In the few weeks she'd gone without seeing her Dad, he looked older. Even for his 50's, he looked particularly haggard. Like all Vault residents in high-skill jobs, he had dark circles around his eyes from working long hours and a pissed off glare that almost made Winter flinch.

"Nothing, you're up early," James observed, "Painkillers?"

"Yeah, my finger's still busted."

James tossed her the bottle and went back to his clinic. There was a silence for a moment, but he could sense his kid hadn't moved.

"Dad?" she said impatiently.

"Yes, Winter, what? I'm busy."

"What did you and Alphonse argue about last night? He's fucking pissed."

"Nothing to concern yourself with."

"Yeah, I do concern myself with it, though. The prick takes it out of me when you guys but heads. I go over to Amata's for a drink and he's there looking at me like I shit in his shoes."

"Watch your mouth. I don't ask about you and Susie, you don't ask about myself and the Overseer."

"You're banging the Overseer?" she grinned.

"Hey! Don't joke about that shit," he pointed at her, "I'm not discussing this with you, and, for the record, you do enough to antagonize him already."

"Ah fuck off," Winter dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand.

"Try and stay out of his way, today? Alright? I don't want you in the jails again for disturbing the peace."

"Well… I'm on my way to Amata's now so… I'll try to behave."

"No, you won't try, you'll behave. You're an adult now, you have to be normal, and courteous, and polite."

"I am polite," she insisted, "Just not to him."

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

"What's he going to do? Let me starve?"

James groaned in frustration before returning to his desk, "Whatever, Winter, just don't come complaining to me about it."

"Alright, alright. I'll see you."

Winter walked to Amata's apartment with a bottle of whiskey tucked in her backpack.

"Ay," Winter greeted, "Where's your- ah."

Alphonse got up from the couch and crossed his arms, "Good morning, Winter."

"Overseer," she nodded.

"Where's Amata's what?" he asked in a tone that was anything but warm.

"Nothing," she shrugged.

"What's in the bag?" he asked.

"Work stuff."

"You aren't scheduled to work today."

"I still like to find time during the day to revise."

"I'm sure," he muttered, rolling his eyes, "You and your father both have a talent for lying."

"Don't take your arguments with Dad out on me," Winter turned away from him and took off her coat, "What happened? Did he refuse to give Mack a dick pill subscription on the house?"

"It isn't your concern. Just for your knowledge…" he pointed upwards at the ceiling, "This lightbulb flickers."

"Shocking," she joked to a deadpanned Overseer, "I'll look into it if I find the time."

"You will find the time, it's an order," Alphonse corrected as Amata walked in from the bathroom.

"Hey," Amata smiled at her.

"What's your plan for today?" her father asked while Amata put her hair into a bun.

"No idea, maybe the gym later," Amata shrugged.

"Be productive," he scolded, then turned to Winter, "And I want that light bulb changed by the time I come back."

Winter saluted, which Alphonse, of course, didn't see the funny side of. He took a step forward and leant down so their noses almost touched.

"You are on very thin ice with me, Daniels. You and your father both. You disrespect me again, I'll have you burning garbage so fast you'll wish you could jump into that incinerator yourself. Message received?"

"Sure."

"Sure?"

"Yes, Overseer."

"Very good," he nodded and turned, "I'll see you at work tomorrow, Amata."

"Yes, father," she nodded. Once the door shut, both girls rolled their eyes.

"He's been like that for weeks now," Amata walked to the kitchen and got two glasses along with the bottle of whiskey she kept hidden behind a few pots.

"Nothing says productive like shots at 9 AM," she grinned with a hint of disdain.

"Yeah well something something happy hour somewhere," Amata took the glass and downed it.

Winter and Amata had both been more or less avoiding everyone but each other for the past week weeks, with the exception being Susie. Alphonse had gotten considerably fouler in mood, and the origin of it wasn't entirely known. Winter had assumed it was something to do with her Dad, but she couldn't pry anything out of Officer Gomez. He suggested asking Chief Officer Mack, which Winter had promptly declined.

Whatever had caused it, the Overseer was ruling the Vault and demanded nothing less than complete efficiency. Any infraction, no matter how small, was now met with fines and, depending on the severity, jail time. He had been walking down the hallway and found a resident violently vomiting while inadvertently pouring the bottle of beer in his hand onto the floor with it. That had been three weeks ago, and he was still in lockup.

Amata couldn't walk the halls for more than five minutes without being hounded with questions, or even glares and passive-aggressive insults. Winter hated it just as much because she loved Amata like a sister, and no matter how nice Amata was, or how hard she worked to undo her Dad's rules and punishments, everyone still looked at her like she could somehow flip a switch and turn her Dad from an asshole into a saint.

They watched old movies on the projector Amata had set up in her spare room and drank into the mid-morning, and while Amata napped on the couch with Winter reading beside her, Susie visited during her lunch break.

"Hey baby," Susie greeted in a hushed whisper when Winter opened the door, "What's going on?"

Winter didn't drink nearly as much, she needed to keep a somewhat sober eye on Amata. She could go on some particularly dark rambling when she was as drunk as she currently was, and a sober mind helped to ground her.

"She's still taking it hard," she admitted. The worried look on her face quickly dissolved into a small smile when her girlfriend wrapped one hand around her shoulders and let the other hand wander.

"Your Dad was looking for you earlier, he was in the apartment earlier today."

"Don't talk about him while you're doing that," she giggled and nipped at her ear when Susie turned her head and quickly put both hands to her side, "Hi, Amata."

"Hey, Susie," Amata mumbled, waving clumsily from the couch, "There's food in the fridge if you want something."

"What did Dad want?" Winter asked.

"I don't know, he was going through one of your notebooks, though. I told him to get out of it, but he seemed insistent he needed something from it."

Winter frowned and turned to Amata, "Hey, Sloppy?"

"Fuck you."

"You remember when you were waiting for me to come home from work and Dad was poking around my bag?"

"My Dad or your Dad?"

"My Dad. Has Alphonse gone through my bag?"

"No… why?"

"I just… never mind. Why did Dad go through my bag?"

"I don't know, he had one of your books though, he said you had one of his medical journals."

"Ah fuck, I wondered why I was missing a log book."

"Why is he going through your shit?"

"Oh… maybe I fucked up somewhere."

"Did Grandpa Stanley say anything?" Susie asked, pecking her lips before walking over to raid the fridge.

"No."

"Then don't worry about it. Your Dad's probably making sure you're doing your job properly."

Winter made a grunt of disapproval, "Amata."

"What?!"

"Can you- dude you have company, come on."

"I don't mind," Susie shrugged.

"Come on, you lazy bum," she grunted while climbing over the couch to get her friend to sit upright.

"Nobody likes me," Amata moaned with an arm draped over her eyes, "My Dad is such a dick and everybody's taking it out on me."

"Okay, come on, Susie and I still like you," Winter sat down beside her and discreetly handed the bottle of whiskey back to Susie for her to hide.

"I'll have to kill him," she decided, "I'm going to kill him… no… no, I'll go to jail then. But he controls the jail, if he dies, the jail goes away, it's a foolproof plan!"

"Yeah," Winter laughed, "You want some bread?"

"I hate my job," Amata groaned into her hands, "It's so boring! Why do you care about your Dad reading your diary, there's nothing interesting in there anyway?"

"It's not a diary," she corrected, slapping her thigh lightly, "It's an engineering journal. I keep my feelings to myself… not pouring them out after only two shots."

"Fuck you."

"I've gotta go back to work, I have other children I need to babysit," Susie swallowed a mouthful of juice and kissed her cheek, "I love you."

"Love you."

"When're you going to marry her?" Amata asked loudly just after Susie left.

"Shh!"

"Just fucking do it, it'll piss off her Dad and mine," she giggled.

"We haven't talked about it."

"Been three years, make up your minds!"

"I don't know," Winter sighed and got up, "God damn it I need to find Dad and get that log book. I'll see you later."

"Hey! What happened to being drunk buddies?!"

"I need the journal to fix that light."

"You need a journal to fix a light?"

"Just take a nap, you mess," Winter laughed, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

/

"Hey!"

"What now?" James violently pushed himself back on his stool away from his desk.

"The fuck're you doing going through my stuff?"

"You took one of my medical journals."

"Why… the fuck would I want your medical journals? Why do you need my engineering journals?!"

"I thought you had taken mine, I must have taken yours by mistake," he opened a drawer at his desk and put the book on the top.

"If you want to upgrade the heating in your office, Dad, just ask me. I'll put it on my list," she took the book and thumbed through the pages, "If I lost this, I'd be screwed."

"You know, Winter, it doesn't hurt to be polite," James commented.

"Doesn't hurt to ask before going through my stuff. There's shit in my room that I really don't need you poking around finding."

"I'm sure you have many scandalous secrets stashed away," James sighed, "Do you want to have dinner tonight?"

"No, Susie's about to finish work, we're going to have a quiet night."

"Oh. Tomorrow morning?"

"Maybe, I don't know."

"Hey… give me a hug, before you go."

"Why?"

"You can't hug your Dad?"

"Why? Are you dying?"

"No, just-" he took a few steps forward and hugged her. Both of them were like a pair of mannequins, not comfortable in the embrace at all and quickly stepped apart. She couldn't remember the last time her Dad had hugged her.

"Um… yeah. I'm… I'm gonna go home. Don't go through my stuff again."

"I won't. Goodbye, kid. I love you."

"Love you too, Dad," she mumbled.

/

She hung out at home for the rest of the day. Going outside was always a risk, someone would always have an issue with their sink or their light or whatever, that needed to be taken care of immediately, so it was easy for Winter to be lulled into the safety of napping and listening to their next-door neighbours have a screaming argument about who ate the last of the chicken rations. When Susie finally came home, Winter had her ear pressed against the living room wall.

"What're you doing?" Susie frowned.

"Tom and Mary are fighting about chicken again," she grinned, "Someone ate a thigh all by themselves."

"Fantastic," she muttered.

"What's with you?" Winter grinned.

"Don't be fucking smirky," Susie sighed, "A kid scratched my eye."

"Ah shit," she walked over and looked at her emerald eye, it was bloodshot, but not bleeding, "You're okay?"

"His bitch mother was being a cunt about it, I hate my job," she muttered.

"Your eye looks fine."

"Don't tell me how it feels."

"Hey," Winter said sternly, "Be nice."

"I'm sorry," she leant forward into her shoulder, "My eye just hurts."

"I know."

"Did you figure out why your Dad took your journal?"

"Said he thought it was one of his."

"It had your name on it," Susie frowned.

"I'll deal with it tomorrow, can't be fucked right now."

"You could…" she trailed off.

"You talking shit, or do you want to throw down?"

The stern look on her girl's face quickly melted into a smile, "Throw down."

"Throw down," she said in a playful gruff voice, grabbing her by her forearm and hoisting her up.

"What about dinner?"

"Do you honestly care?"

"…Nah."

"Alright."

/

"Winter wake up!"

Winter groaned and pushed her away, "No, lemmie-"

"Listen!" Amata insisted, pointing her finger up at the ceiling. The emergency alarm was blaring, only mean for catastrophic disasters.

"Fuck me," Winter groaned, "What's happened now?"

"Get up and get dressed," Amata said urgently, "Just please do that for me."

Winter got up and didn't bother with the jumpsuit. She grabbed a white shirt and her jeans and was jumping into her work boots while Amata pushed the door to her wardrobe open.

"What are you doing?" Winter yelled over the noise when Amata started shoving Winter's clothes and a baseball bat into a sports bag.

"Your Dad left the Vault."

"What?!"

"Just- I don't know why he did, but he did. Listen to me, Jonas is dead, and my Dad and everybody else in the Vault is looking for you. Stanley was smart enough to say that you were hiding in the air shafts but you won't have much time."

"Much time for what?" she croaked.

Amata wiped her eyes then shoved the bag against Winter's chest, "Tell me you don't have anything to do with it."

"I- what? No! I didn't have anything to do with anything!" Winter whined, "Shit, no, I can't leave!"

"Dad is going to kill you; you and I both know that. Just- fuck!" Amata winced, letting out one single sob before pulling herself together. She looked terrified, but she spoke so calmly, "I have a plan. If you can work your way towards the security office, I know a way out for you."

"Security office?! But-"

"Everyone is out looking for you in the engine bay, I checked with Gomez."

"Gomez is on our side?"

"Yes, he's telling everyone he saw you scurrying around in the engine bay. They even shot at the vents a few times. I'm going to see if I can talk any sense into Dad. If I'm lucky I might be able to whittle it down to you being banished."

"Aww fuck!" she whimpered, "Wait- Susie? Where's Susie?!"

"In lockdown with the kids, there's a guard watching her."

"Oh shit, she's going to be turned into a hostage or something," Winter panicked, "I've gotta-"

"There's not a point in going to save her if you're going to be banished anyway!" Amata insisted, "You have to leave, Winter! Go into the security office, I'll try and talk to Dad, if not, go into Dad's office computer and open the emergency exit. I'll try and meet you there but if not…"

Winter's eyes stung with tears, her throat felt raw and breathing was impossible. Amata got up on tiptoes and kissed her cheek.

"I love you," Amata said, holding Winter's cheeks between her hands, "You're the only real friend I had, and I know you're the only person here who can make it out there. I want you to stay strong, okay?"

"Amata I can't-"

"You don't have a choice," she tried to shout but her voice cut off halfway until it went into a squeak, "Just run, find your Dad, and find a life out there. Be happy, and one day… we might see each other again."

Winter nodded, "Just- please tell Susie that I'm sorry and that I wish I could have said goodbye."

Amata nodded and hugged her tightly. Winter could feel her heart thudding against her, just as fast as hers.

"Be careful," Amata begged when they broke apart, "Please."

"I will."

"Then go."

Winter slung the bag over her shoulders and began to run. She sprinted past her apartment blocks, just being able to spot her previous neighbours gawking and yelling out of their windows. Winter had never moved so fast in her entire life, but somehow it wasn't fast enough. It was like a dream where someone was chasing you, you could never run fast enough, you felt like you were moving in slow motion. The emergency siren seemed to blare only louder as she ran, her boots squealed along the metal floor more often than they used to, and the Vault never seemed to be so big. She sprinted up two flights to the floor the security office was on.

"Shit!" she swore as Wally glanced at her. Wearing a set of security armour and wielding a baton, he smiled wide as his hand reached for his radio. Before Winter could think, she was on top of him, ripping his baton out of his hand and raining blows down onto his face. His teeth were shattered, his nose broken, eyes surely blackened, and his jaw possibly dislocated.

"Should have left me alone," Winter panted as she got up. She could feel last night's dinner stirring in her guts as she looked at the mangled ruin that was Wally's face, "Fuck… I- I'm sorry."

She quickly and clumsily laid Wally on his side so he could breathe before noticing his gun. She fumbled with Wally's belt and unholstered the 10mm and considered whether or not to take it. Winter had only ever used the BB gun her father had given her on her birthday years ago, and she'd never shot at anything living beside roaches. It would be stupid not to take the gun, even though she didn't know how to reload it, shooting it was easy enough. Taking the baton was also a decent idea, and as she tucked it into the belt look of her jeans, Winter realized she had to come up with an escape plan that was better than just running around and hoping for the best.

Everybody was in lockdown, and the empty hallways seemed to urge Winter to keep running but turning a blind corner and coming face to face with a security officer would probably mean getting shot. Instead, she took her time, crawling underneath windows and peering around a corner before moving. Crawling in the vents would be difficult, they made noises as the metal shifted and sagged and she would be too slow to move if Amata's gunfire theory was true. She ran into precious few security guards, save for Wally and another guard who was looking in the opposite direction. The sick feeling in Winter's guts wasn't going away, and she worried that most of the guards would be in the higher levels of the Vault, waiting for her to try and escape through the main door. She felt like she was wasting time with this, that the guards were just waiting at the door anyway and were going to mow her down the second the got anywhere near it. Still, she had to try.

She made her way to the second highest floor to the surface, but she heard footsteps coming around the corner. She ducked around the corner and hid behind a waste bin as they drew closer.

"Any idea where she is?" a guard asked to another.

"I don't know. We just checked the apartment. Amata was there."

"No shit."

"Yeah, Overseer is questioning her in the office now."

"You think he's going to…?"

"I don't know. Did you hear Jonas is dead?"

"No! When?"

"Mack beat the shit out of him with a baton, he's fucking dead, man."

"That isn't the worst of it, Tom and Mary Holland got gunned down, they tried to make a run for it too."

"No shit! Who did it?!"

"Who do you think? Wally Mack. Warned them once and mowed them down with his fucking pistol while they were running away from him. If I didn't see it, I wouldn't have believed it. I just bailed, we'll deal with it later, but right now we gotta find the Daniels kid."

"Someone said they saw her running around in the cafeteria trying to steal food."

"Is someone there now?"

"I don't know. You wanna check it out?"

"Beats standing around here just waiting to get shot."

"Fucking Macks, man. The whole family is batshit."

"Susie's alright," he shrugged as they started walking, "You think if Daniels bites it tonight, I'll have a chance?"

"Dick," Winter muttered under her breath as they walked down the stairs toward the cafeteria.

The security office was only across the hall, and much to Winter's surprise nobody was guarding it. She had to double check, she crept along and checked every corner leading into the building and there was nobody there waiting for her. Amata will be fine, she told herself as she glanced away from the security office to move for the Overseer's. The office would be empty, she could hear the Overseer talking in the security office, all she had to do was log into the computer using her administrator account and open the door to the emergency exit tunnel. It would bypass the main tunnel leading to the main entrance. She had a way out! Amata will be fine. Her Dad won't-

"No!" Amata screamed, "Don't hurt me again!"

"Be reasonable Amata," the Overseer soothed, "Chief Security Mack might enjoy this, but I certainly don't."

Winter crept to the window and peered her head up to look inside. Mack and the Overseer both had their backs to her as they stood over Amata. She cowered in her chair, clutching her arm and howling in pain from what was probably a baton strike.

"Just tell me where she is!" Mack shouted, slamming his baton hard against her shoulder. Amata screamed and lurched forward, but Mack shoved her backward so her back bounced against the chair, "What did I say about getting up?!"

Winter was moving before she could think. She opened the door and burst inside, immediately pointing the gun at Mack's back and ordering him to leave Amata alone.

Mack looked startled for a moment, but something in Winter's eyes must have put him at ease. He, along with the Overseer took a few calm steps back, but it was Mack who begun to speak.

"You," he ordered with a firm point of his finger, "Put the gun down. Get on the ground. Hands behind your head."

"No."

"What?"

"No, I said!" she shouted, "I've got my bag packed and I'm ready to fucking leave! Leave her alone! She didn't have anything to do with this!"

Amata scurried out of the chair and quickly stood behind Winter.

"Amata, go home," Winter said before turning to the Overseer, "She didn't have any fucking thing to do with this, what is wrong with you?!"

"A savage," he scowled, "Just like your father."

Winter had turned away only for a moment, but it was all that Mack needed. He pounced, tacking Winter to the ground and knocking the handgun out of her hand and sending it scattering along the floor.

"You fucked my daughter!" he roared and punched Winter square in the face, "You fucked her! In my Vault! In my fucking home!"

"Stop!" she begged.

Winter heard a bang, and something very warm and very wet begun to rain onto her face, she opened her eyes and found herself staring into Mack's wide eyes. He wasn't moving.

"Amata?" the Overseer said, very quietly.

"Oh, God…" Amata whispered. Winter glanced up and noticed the neat little hole that went through Mack's head, and when Winter shoved her until-recently-quite-possibly-future-father-in-law off her, his head caved in and his brains began to leak onto the rug. Amata's trembling hands dropped the gun, and for a moment, the whole world stopped. Winter scooted backward for a moment and wiped some of the blood off of her face and watched as more blood and brain began to leak out of him like someone had smashed a tin of jam. As the shock of the moment began to fade with each second, the Overseer acted first by reaching down and scooping up the gun. Winter saw and quickly made a dash for the door, but it wasn't fast enough. The gun fired, sending a white-hot pain coursing through Winter's right thigh. She screamed in agony and dropped to the ground, it was a worse pain than Winter ever thought was possible, and it was only getting worse with each moment.

"Winter!" Amata screamed.

Winter grunted and tried to pick herself up. She saw the red strain growing roughly near where her knee was. More blood. More pain, more death. She tried to push herself off into a run with both legs, but the pain was so bad her leg gave out and her chin landed against the steel of the Vault floor.

"Like a wounded dog," he tutted, shaking his head in dismay as he walked up to her.

"Daddy no! Please!" Amata screamed. Winter crawled desperately for the baton, her fingers grabbing it and tightening around it when she felt the cold metal touch the back of her head.

"Amata!" she shouted, it was the only thing she could think to say. A loud, hollow 'clink' noise came from the gun, but nothing happened. Empty, Winter realized before she spun around and swung. The baton smacked him in the arm, enough to the empty gun to fly out of his hand. Winter swung it a second time, this time on his chest. He hit the ground and Winter swung a final time with a hard contact across his head.

"Winter, stop!" Amata begged.

"I don't want to kill him," Winter swore as she got onto her good leg. Blood was beginning to trickle out of the wound at a bad pace, and there was a gruesome trail leading from the office down the hall. Amata stood over her father, who was groaning and weakly struggling on the floor. She was breathing heavily, her face contorted in rage as she observed the man struggling and weeping beneath him.

"You and your father," he wheezed at Winter, "You ruined everything. You're going to starve, and I hope it's slow."

Amata delivered a hard, merciless kick to her father's ribs before spitting in his face, "Damn you."

The act took the breath out of his lungs, but Amata didn't care. As he struggled to breathe, Amata turned her attention onto Winter.

"Here," Amata gasped, holding her up and stumbling out of the office with her.

"Get me to your Dad's office," Winter explained, "I know a way out."

It was only a few paces, and thankfully the office was empty. Why it was empty, Winter had no idea. Throughout her childhood, the Vault's Security Team was feared among the kids as being all seeing and all powerful, but now as a nineteen-year-old adult Winter realized they were a bunch of idiots being led by a tyrant with about as much strategic sense as a dog with a poisoned steak. All focus on the meat, not much else.

While Amata activated the emergency lock on the door to the Overseer's office, with the password the Overseer ironically had made her memorize for "emergencies only", Winter slumped down onto the chair and found the evacuation procedure after only a few breaks to concentrate on the unbearable pain in her leg. The evacuation procedure began, and a staircase just opposite the Overseer's chair opened. They both could only watch as the staircase groaned and squealed to life, morphing into shape for the first time in probably over two hundred years. Once it had fully taken shape, Amata jumped into action.

"Come on," Amata urged her, holding Winter up from her left side.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Winter hissed as she forced herself to hobble down the steps.

"I know, I know," Amata stopped them and took the bag off of Winter's back and put it on her own to take some of the weight off Winter's leg. They ran down the tunnel, which roared out a chorus of emergency sirens as the two hobbled their way along. They opened one emergency door and reached the entrance, the Vault door looming over them.

"I need to get to the terminal," Winer insisted. Amata nodded and shut the emergency door behind them, not seeming to care that there wasn't a handle on the side they currently were on. Winter didn't notice, instead activating the door opening procedures that Stanley had given her to study, once she had earned his trust that she wouldn't open the Vault as a joke. The devastating thought that she would never see him, or Susie again was like a bomb ticking away in the back of her head, but the adrenaline coursing through her veins meant she only had one thought at the forefront of her mind. Survive. The door's opening mechanism began, but it would take roughly one minute to a minute and a half to complete, and it wasn't exactly quiet.

"Shit," Winter swore as the screaming door easily overpowered the sounds of the alarm, "Okay… fuck this hurts… alright… just- stay here at the other side of the room… the security team will come and find you and bring you back. I don't want you getting shot by accident."

Amata shook her head and turned to her, eyes brimming with tears, "Fuck them."

"Huh?" she panted.

"Fuck them, I'm going with you."

"What?" Winter yelped and jerked herself upright as Amata walked up to support her again, "No, Amata, I'm going outside!"

"And I'm going with you," Amata decided, "I'm going with you, to find you a doctor, and-"

"There might not even be doctors!" Winter protested.

"There are, I know there are," Amata said determinately, "I know we'll be alright."

The emergency door swung open, and Winter felt Amata's weight shift and press against her back as a team of guards swooped in.

"Don't shoot! We're going!" Amata shouted, frog-marching Winter towards the door as it struggled to shift open.

Over the screaming of the door, Winter heard three gunshots. She glanced behind her and saw a ground of guards hiding behind the console and Amata pointing a gun at them. The door revealed a long dirt alley, littered with skeletons and leading to a barely put together door made of rotten wood.

"We have to do this," Amata grunted, pushing them past the opened Vault door, "We have to, or else we're fucked."

Winter's feet touched the dirt, and she quickly grappled with the terminal that would close the door.

"Amata…" Winter warned, glancing over at her.

"Fuck them," Amata scowled at her, "I'm going with you, shut the door."

"Stop. Think for a second," she said, "We don't know what's out there."

"I do," Amata insisted, "There is life."

"Even if there is, what if it's like a fucking evil place where there's slavery and murder and-"

"You mean there?" Amata scowled, pointing into the Vault, "I have a plan. Shut the door, Winter. Please."

"What I'm doing will take days to undo. This is the last chance for you, I don't want you to die for me."

"What do you have left to do?"

"I just have to push enter, just slip through the door and I'll-" she was cut off by Amata leaning over and hitting the enter key.

"Tell my father goodbye for me!" Amata yelled at the officers as the screaming of the door started up again. Finally accepting the finality of it, Winter sat down and waiting for either the door to close, or for someone to shoot her.

"Someone needs to go after her!" a guard shouted, "Forget about Daniels, just get Amata!"

"Fuck that! You want to be caught out there with them!? Just let the door close!"

"That's the Overseer's kid, Steve!"

"You want to go out there, you go right ahead!"

"Look at me," Amata said, suddenly kneeling beside her with a look in her eye that was nothing but determined, "We're gonna be alright."

Then suddenly, the door was closed, hissing to a stop and locking itself again for the first time in two hundred years. Winter and Amata took a moment to observe it. The "101" painted onto it was faded from two hundred years exposed to the elements, covered in dust and grime with the exception of two new sets of handprints. Winter glanced to the right and flinched when she saw a human skull only three feet away. It wasn't exactly a good sign for the prosperous future Amata all of a sudden seemed to be sure of. She quickly wiped the tears out of her eyes and looked up at Amata, who was looking up at a security camera that was installed above the door. The lens was wildly focusing and whirring around, but the door was still deathly silent. It was so thick, they couldn't even hear the sounds of the alarm going off anymore.

"Wait here, they'll get the door open soon," Winter said again, trying to get to her feet only to have her leg give way again. Amata rushed to help her. The pain was somehow getting worse, and she was losing a lot of blood.

"Amata- don't!" Winter protested, "Just wait here!"

"We need to find the nearest town before sundown," Amata said, "Better yet, find you a doctor."

"There aren't any goddamned doctors!"

"Well, your Dad's gotta be out there somewhere," Amata shrugged as she began walking toward the metal door, practically dragging Winter along with her, "He could be five minutes away."

Winter clung onto Amata as they began to walk towards the outside. Her leg was screaming at her to stop moving, but she couldn't stop. Not now. The tunnel was suffocating her, making her heart thud desperately against her chest, but she was responsible for Amata now, she was the reason Amata was here, and she couldn't afford to give her one more thing to worry about. They finally came to a stop at the old wooden door, the cracks allowing light to burst through and land on their trembling skin. It was warm to the touch, it would almost be comforting if the enormity of what lay behind it wasn't so immediately present in their thoughts.

"Are you ready?" Amata asked, hand on the door handle and the other around Winter's waist.

"Do it," Winter nodded.


	4. Bullet Removal

The moment she stepped through the door, all of the pain in Winter's leg was forgotten. Everything… that's the only word Winter could think of to describe what she saw. It was… everything. A ceiling that couldn't be touched, and no walls to hinder them. She knew what the sky was, she'd seen it in movies, but it was so much bigger than what she thought it would be. It was blue, with white fluffy clouds dotting along it like dust on a clean floor. Looking up was terrifying for both of them, but Amata and Winter both kept looking up. They couldn't help it. It was beautiful, and every second kept filling her with possibility.

"I can't believe it," Amata whispered, "Look at it."

So much. It was so much. Winter wanted to run and see how far she could go. After my leg is better. She told herself.

"Look," Amata said suddenly. She cast her eyes from the horizon and down to the landscape around them. The Vault entrance was at the top of a hill, and at the base of a hill was an old road. From what Winter remembered from films and books, they carried cars, but there weren't any cars on these roads. It led on into a town with a few ruined buildings still standing. They were skeletons of what Winter and Amata had seen before, destroyed from the fallout of a nuclear war and two hundred years of neglect, but it was changing. Even from a mile away, Winter could hear the sound of hammers and saws. If she squinted, she thought she could see some people.

"Alright," Amata said nervously, "Alright. This is okay. We've already found signs of people."

"We shouldn't trust them, though."

"I'm going to leave you here, and I'm going to go and see if they can help us."

"No," she insisted. The pain in her leg was returning. Even with the insanity of what was going on around her, her body still needed to be fixed.

"Why not?"

"We have one gun. If we separate, one of us won't be able to defend ourselves. And if you leave me here, who's to say someone from the Vault isn't going to suicide run through the hall, shoot me in the face, realize you're gone and run back?"

"Alright, alright, I'll take you with me," Amata groaned, "Jesus, Winter… look at it all."

"I know. I can't wait to see the night time."

"What time do you think that will be?"

"I don't know. Shit, I left my watch behind."

"Well, we can't exactly go back and get it."

"Ah! Fuck!" she hissed as another intense wave of pain surged down her leg.

"Alright, we're wasting enough time," Amata helped her up, "Let's go."

"What about taking our time?"

"If your leg gets infected it'll have to come off."

"Oh… yeah, we should- fuck- hurry."

"You're alright, at least you didn't get hit with a shotgun."

"You're… being really calm about this."

"I'm sure I'll freak out about it later," Amata chuckled, "Right now… we need to get that bullet out of your leg."

"I think it went through."

"Even better," Amata glanced around their surroundings again and pointed, "That looks like a town."

Winter looked in her direction, "That's a heap of metal. It could be a battle arena for all we know."

"It shouldn't be much of a walk. You need to hang on, okay? You aren't allowed to fall asleep."

"It's not that bad," Winter hissed, "It just… really hurts."

"I know," Amata sighed, "I can't believe he shot you."

"… Really?"

"No, maybe I can believe it a little. It doesn't mean you deserved it. What're we going to do?"

Amata shrugged, "I suppose I'm just happy that we can breathe out here. Can you look up without almost wetting yourself?"

"Nope," Winter grunted, "I'm just concentrating on moving. I'll deal with the ceiling later."

"Sky," Amata corrected.

"I was joking," Winter allowed herself to smile at her.

The ruined road toward the sounds of construction led through a series of old, concrete buildings. Winter was relying on Amata to look at their surroundings, as she had to balance herself and focus on putting just the right amount of pressure on her wounded leg or else it would give out. Her jean leg was stained with red, her boot was disgusting and sticky and make a squelching sound whenever they made a step. As they walked along a street with buildings on both sides, they heard three consecutive bangs very close together and sounding like they were nearby. Amata practically charged Winter to the side and hid both of them behind a section of rotten wood. Before Winter could tell her how pointless diving for cover behind rotted old wood was, another buzzing sound cut them off.

"Stay down here," Amata whispered. She stuck her head out into the open again, the buzzing suddenly turning into a sharper, rustier sound.

"That's metal cutting metal," Winter gasped. She knew that sound anywhere.

"It's not gunfire?"

"No, no it's definitely metal being cut."

Amata nodded and put a hand on Winter's shoulder, "Stay here, I'm going to get help."

"What? No! You can't go out there alone!"

"You're right, there's only one gun, and you pretty much can't move. I'm willing to take the risk of you staying here because now I can move quickly."

"It's a huge risk, the gun isn't even loaded, for fuck's sake. We need to find a place to watch them for a few hours and figure out what kind of people they are."

Amata shook her head, again, "Your leg would start to get infected by that point. I'll be back."

"Amata!" Winter hissed when she jogged off.

Amata ignored her and walked quickly along the street. Her heart thudded rapidly and she kept looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was heading towards Winter. The buzzing noise grew louder as she rounded the corner. The noise was coming from five men, two of them with rifles across their shoulders, the others were busy building what looked to be a house. The two men with rifles were sitting on a ruined bench having a happy conversation. They were wearing funny clothes, and what looked like to be cowboy hats. They were well dressed, but the material was something Amata didn't recognize. They wore pants that looked like the fabric of a couch, but tough and able to handle the sparks that flew onto them while they cut metal. Leather, maybe? Amata kept hidden and watched the men work. They were decently fed, not fat, but certainly not starving. One of the men who was working on the house turned to one of the armed men and with a smile and said something, making the other men laugh. They looked friendly enough, and Amata didn't know where the next form of civilization was, and Winter desperately needed a doctor. She had to take the risk. After taking a deep breath, she walked to approach them.

"Excuse me," Amata called. Then men didn't seem startled, and the armed ones didn't point their guns at her. One of the armed men stood up and jogged over to her, "Yes ma'am?"

As he got closer, Amata took note of the star on his chest. It was a sheriff's badge. He was an older man with chocolate skin and a white trimmed beard. He wore a long leather overcoat with a clean white shirt underneath.

"I need help. My friend's been shot."

The man narrowed his eyes at her, "Where's your friend?"

Amata hesitated before she spoke. Why did he sound so unconvinced? "Behind one of the buildings. She's lost a lot of blood and I need to find a doctor for her."

"Sheriff?" the other armed man questioned. The Sheriff ignored him and kept his focus on Amata, "Go and get your friend, and I'll take you to a doctor."

Amata doubled back and ran to the building. He sounded suspicious, but he didn't break eye contact with her when he spoke about getting a doctor. It's what her Dad always taught her, a man could rarely look you in the eye when he was in the middle of lying to you. Your Dad taught you a lot of bullshit, Amata told herself, And he didn't have many friends. So maybe you should be nice.

"I think I found a doctor for us," Amata grunted, hoisting Winter up to her feet.

"Fuck! Slower, please," she whimpered.

"Relax, you're fine. Probably doesn't even hurt that bad."

"Fuck you!" Winter laughed.

The Sheriff was standing in the middle of the street with his buddy directly beside him, but when he saw Winter and the amount of blood that was on her leg, he handed his friend his rifle and ran over to help them.

"When was she shot?" he asked urgently as he helped support Winter.

"Half an hour ago."

"What kind of gun?"

"I don't know- a pistol?"

The Sheriff frowned at her, "Were you there when your friend was shot?"

"It was a 10mm," Winter grunted.

"Did you only get shot in the leg?" he asked.

"Yes- hey!" Winter yelped as the Sheriff hoisted her up to carry her over his shoulder.

"Aaron!" the Sheriff yelled to his buddy, "Run back into town and tell Church I have a bullet wound for him to treat. Get another two deputies to guard the builders."

Aaron hollered something Amata didn't quite catch at the builders before sprinting in the direction of the town.

The Sheriff ran after him with Winter on his shoulders while Amata followed closely behind. Running in a straight line for so long while not being on a treadmill was completely alien to her. Her body kept trying to slow down to make an expected sharp turn. She absolutely wasn't used to running on uneven ground. Every floor on the Vault was flat, the only time she really walked on an incline was up and down stairs or when they played on the playground as kids. Now she had to be careful of dips in the road, and a big pile of shit that came from an animal Amata didn't recognize.

"Who shot your friend?" the Sheriff asked.

"My father did."

"Is your father a raider?"

"A what?" Amata frowned.

"A raider."

"What's a raider?"

The Sheriff stopped running for a moment, "A- where did you come from?"

"Vault 101," Amata said, turning around and showing the jumpsuit with a big "101" on the back.

"How many of you are there?"

"Just us. We were exiled."

"Amata-" Winter tried to interject before the Sheriff cut her off.

"Why?"

"My father left the Vault. The guy in charge-"

"Stop," the sheriff cut Winter off again, then turned his attention to Amata, still not moving, "Tell me what happened. And look at me while you tell me."

"The Overseer lost his shit about her Dad leaving, he tried to kill her, but he ran out of bullets. We used the chance and got away."

"A quick enough escape for you to pack a bag?"

"I thought we had more time than we actually did. The Overseer thought that Winter and her Dad had escaped together, but when they found out only her Dad had escaped, they wanted to kill Winter for endangering their lives."

The Sheriff nodded, "And who shot your friend?"

"My father."

"Who escaped?"

"Winter's father."

"So, Winter's father shot Winter and you and your father helped her escape?"

"No, my father shot Winter and I helped Winter-"

"We're not liars or criminals!" Winter shouted over them, "But I can feel my heartbeat in my leg, and I don't think that that's a good thing."

"Tell me that my people are not in danger," The Sheriff said to Amata.

"Your people aren't in danger," Amata promised, "We won't hurt anybody. We just… please…"

The sheriff only gave her a curt nod, then began to run again. They reached the giant slab of metal, which in the middle had a gap which led into a town.

The town was in a giant crater, probably a quarter of a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide. All of the buildings were made of a combination of wood and metal, and had walkways built from building to building that were made from metal as well. Amata had to stop and look at it. Houses seemed to cling to the sides of the crater, held up strong by metal supports. At the bottom of the crater was a market, with what she could guess to be restaurants and bars all crammed into an impossibly tight space.

The clinic was at the bottom of a steep ramp that led from the top of the crater to the bottom. Amara noted that everyone they ran past seemed to instinctively hold a hand out as if to offer help. She reached the clinic before the sheriff and Winter and opened the door to the clinic for the Sheriff to run inside.

"What took you so damn long?" a doctor barked at the sheriff as he laid Winter down onto the bed. Before Winter even settled onto the bed, the doc got a pair of scissors and cut her right jean leg open to expose the wound.

"You afraid of needles, kid?" he asked.

"What?"

"What's your name?"

"Win-" she began to reply before Church stabbed a needle into her leg, "Ow!"

"Morphine," he explained, then began to wipe the blood off of Winter's leg, "The good news is that this doesn't look to be infected, the even better news is that the bullet went through, so you don't have a broken leg or nothin'. Lucky son of a bitch."

"First time getting shot," the sheriff chuckled.

"No shit," Church sighed impatiently, "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Winter muttered.

"If we're done congratulating over nothing," Church began, "There's still two extra holes in ya, and I mean to have them stitched up. Kid, don't look at your leg while I do this, you're like to pass out."

Amata, on the other hand, was transfixed with Winter's leg. Winter could scarcely go a week without hurting herself, whether it be at work or just being stupid and clumsy. A gunshot wound, however, was so much worse.

"Okay," Winter nodded, relaxing as the pain slowly drifted away, "That sounds alright."

"Still though," he said, "I'm gonna have to strap those legs down, so you don't jerk around too much, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded.

"You can sit down there if you want," he nodded towards the chair beside Winter's bed.

Amata quickly found a seat and looked around the room as Church went to work. Winter was in her own world, murmuring nonsense to herself and barely even noticing the doctor stitching up her leg. Winter's father, James, had an immaculate clinic. The steel floor and walls were always scrubbed and pristine, and she had always imagined the outside civilization, if there was one, being a filthy grotto. While this clinic was built from wood and some steel, it was as clean as it could be. Medical supplies were locked away neatly in a cabinet, the beds were made, the floors were clean, the patient's wounds were bandaged, and they all were hooked up to something. It all… made sense.

Amata had toyed with the idea of becoming a doctor when she was growing up, but she didn't like James much. He wasn't the best father to Winter that he could have been, and besides, he was frequently drunk and altogether challenging to get along with. Working for him would have been a nightmare. But this clinic looked so warm, cosy and even friendly. While Church worked in silence, another doctor came in and spoke with a patient. She handed him a hot meal, and they had a chat about a baseball game. Baseball! Winter loved baseball! Maybe watching a game would help them calm down and get to know this community better. Assuming they weren't a pack of cannibals-

"It's brahmin meat in there," Church grunted, "Not people meat."

Amata didn't realize she'd been staring at the food.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"I am. What's a Brahmin?"

Church looked away from Winter's wound and gave her a look like she was stupid, "What did you just say?"

"Nothing."

"You don't know what a Brahmin is?"

"No…?"

Church muttered something to himself then glanced over his shoulder, "Amanda!"

"Yeah, Church?" the other doctor replied, leaning her head into the room.

"Can you get the kid a bowl of food please?"

"Sure, Church."

"A brahmin is where we get steak," he explained while returning to working on Winter's leg.

"Oh! So… like a cow?"

"What in god's name is a cow?"

The woman returned and handed her a warm bowl, and Amata was almost scared to look inside it. It seemed… normal… it certainly smelt good.

"This one just crawled out of a hole in the ground," Church explained impatiently to Amanda, "Can you point to what is in this stuff please?"

"Oh, are you with that old asshole who came through a few hours ago?"

"Maybe," she said urgently, "Where is he?"

"Long gone now, he came in and started bossing me around, asking for some more water containers before leaving on a horse I don't think was his."

"I wanna learn to ride a horse," Winter mumbled to nobody in particular.

"Jesus Christ," Church tutted, "you two might as well be toddlers. You know your left from your right?"

"Yeah," Amata sighed.

"Can you read?"

"I can read, write, count, whatever. Dude, today's the first time I've seen the sky."

"Be nice," Winter slurred loudly, "He gave me morphine, be nice."

"Listen to your friend," Church smirked, "Alright. That should do it. Keep off the leg for a few weeks, but you'll be alright."

"Thank you, doctor," Amata said, she doubted Winter had the mental state to thank him at the moment.

"Oh, I'm not a doctor."

"What?"

"I'm joking, kid. Listen, if you two are really as clueless as I think you are, you should speak to Simms, the sheriff. It isn't safe for you guys to be running around not knowing which way is up."

"What do you mean?"

"… I don't know which part of that sentence confused you?"

"Which way is up?"

"… Good lord," he sighed. The tossed his bloody gloves into a bin and walked off, "Goddamn pre-war social experiments… surprised they can even speak English…"

Amanda watched him leave with a smirk, then turned back to Amata, "He's always an asshole, but he means well. Let your friend rest here for a while. In the meantime, the chunks of meat are brahmin meat, and the veggies are carrots."

"I know carrots," Amata declared, blushing with embarrassment when she realized how stupid that had sounded.

Amanda didn't seem to mind, "Good. Life here isn't that hard. Just be a nice person, and people will be nice to you."

"I'll keep that in mind- oh shit. Is Winter supposed to be asleep?"

Amanda reached over and lightly tapped Winter's cheek.

She startled awake, "Susie?"

"Nope, Amanda. You doing okay, hun?"

"Where am I?"

"You're in a hospital," Amata answered, "What's your name?"

"Winter Daniels," she yawned, "What happened?"

"Go back to sleep, you're fine," Amanda sighed, "Amata, eat your food and get some rest. You're safe here, I promise."

Amata ate and managed to keep the food down. Sleep was impossible, and for the more hours she sat there, the more worries she developed. When they were kids in history class, they learned about their ancestors arriving in America. They told stories about settlers arriving and making the natives sick. What if Amata and Winter got a virus from some cold and died? They got sick in the Vault all the time, but those were just common colds. What if there was a sickness that made you blind? Or insane? What if people did serve food with human parts inside? What if-

Winter groaned and rolled over, "I can hear you think."

"How're you feeling?" Amata asked.

"My leg throbs a little bit," Winter grumbled, "But I think I'll be alright."

Amata looked at the bandage on her leg. It was lightly stained with blood but not nearly as bad as the wound had been a few hours ago, "You're lucky that your femur didn't break."

"Feels like it's broken."

"It's not that bad, is it?"

"Feels like someone shoved a white-hot rod into my leg. I think it's the immense shock of how fucked we are that I'm not screaming in agony right now."

"I don't think that it's going to be that bad," Amata thought hopefully, "Everyone here seems happy and sort of nice. I mean, the sky will take some getting used to, but you'll be able to find a job easy. You know how to fix things; I don't know what I'll do, but I'm sure I'll find something."

"You could be a teacher," Winter suggested.

Amata smirked, then her face went blank, "Can people read here? Church asked me if I could read like it was a serious question."

"I'm assuming most can, considering that Church can read just fine."

"Do you trust them?" asked Winter suddenly.

"I don't know. They seem like nice people, and everybody seems to be well fed. I don't like the idea of leaving you alone while your leg has a hole in it."

"Two holes," Winter corrected, holding up two fingers as if to accurately illustrate her point.

"Okay," Amata giggled, "Maybe you should go back to bed."

"I'm worried about what's going to happen when I wake up, and these painkillers wear off."

"Ah, it'll be fine. We have a fresh start, Winter. Nobody knows us, we can be whoever we want to be."

"Did you see Dad?"

"No," she sighed, "Someone said he was here, but I didn't want to chase after him."

"Why not?" she rasped. She wasn't agitated, more curious.

"Because I was worried about you. We'll find your Dad later, but right now you need to rest, and we need to figure out our shit."

/

A few hours later

"Good, you're awake," Church grunted, "How's the kid?"

Amata glanced anxiously back at Winter, "Still asleep, I didn't want to wake her up."

"Why not?" Church frowned, "She's got a hole in her leg, not her head. Wake her up, she has meds to take."

Amata reached over and shook Winter's shoulder, but the black-haired girl only whimpered and rolled onto her right side. The pain of pressure on her wound made her wake with a shout. After a string of curses and Amata reassuring her that she was alright, Church reappeared with a tray of warm food and medication.

"Oh," Amata said, looking at the meds, "I... I should have mentioned this before, but… Winter and I don't have any money."

"I figured as much when Lucas dragged you in here, and I saw what you both were wearing," Church explained, taking off the blankets and starting to peel off Winter's bandages, "Do me a favour, Amata. That pill bottle there…"

Amata picked it up, "Paracetamol?"

"Yeah, hand it over then get some anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, some antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories, they're labelled in the shelves just outside the door."

Amata nodded and found the requested drugs while Church put fresh bandages on Winter's leg and asked her a few questions. Church read the labels to double check she got the right stuff, the white hairs on his beard bristling as he smiled, "You know your words, kid."

"Thanks?"

"Alright, I'll give you everything for free, on the condition that you come into the clinic for a few hours a day to help me with some things. Nothing too bad, just administering meds- once I teach you how- and cleaning up the place."

Amata glanced at Winter, who shrugged.

"Okay," Amata nodded.

"Great, you get yourself here at dawn every morning, and your debt'll be gone in no longer than a month or two," he said, then peered at Winter who was trying to speak up.

"What?"

"My father is a doctor," Winter said, "I was in his clinic all my life, I can help."

"Do you know how to find a vein to give a shot?"

"…No…"

"Do you know what dosage to give to one person?"

"No."

"What do you know?"

"What medications to give, I guess…" Winter trailed off, looking at him with angry eyes, "I was just saying, I might be able to help too."

"That pissed off glare tells me all I need to know about your hospitality, kiddo," Church shook his head and handed her a palm full of pills, "Swallow these. Your leg will be healed in about two weeks, but until then I don't need you taking up any more room in my clinic. Lucas said he'd come on by half an hour ago. When his dumbass does come back, get him to show you the common room and find yourselves some beds."

"Who's Lucas?"

"The sheriff, Lucas Simms, the one who carried your sorry ass in here."

"Winter didn't mean anything by it, Doctor," Amata assured him. She was desperate to stay in the hospital bed for one more night, the city was so crowded, and a common room wouldn't be any better. She liked the calmness of the clinic, it reminded her of home. A nice, closed in room that you could see all of, a ceiling that you could reach up and touch, not one that went hundreds and hundreds of feet above.

"I don't get offended, Amata," Church said, handing Winter a pair of crutches, "Least of all by the little ones."

"Hey!" Winter snapped.

"Winter, be quiet," Amata hissed.

"It ain't a matter of anything except bed space," Church said, looking at Amata with kinder eyes while Winter settled the crutches under her arms, "I'm sorry, I know the common room's all hell. But trust me on this, you both could do a lot worse than the common room in Megaton."

"Thanks, Doc," Winter said, swallowing her pride under Amata's angry glare, "For the treatment."

"You are most welcome," Church nodded stiffly, "If that leg starts leaking something bad, come and see me. I want those bandages changed once every six hours, and if your stitches pop or rip come and see me, please don't try and fix it yourself because I guarantee that you will get it wrong. Are we happy?"

"Yes," Amata and Winter said in unison, with differing degrees of kindness. Church left them in the waiting room with free soup on the table while he attended to another patient with a bad cough.

"You didn't have to be such a dick to him," Amata scolded as she stabbed at the meat with a fork.

"He was a dick to me," Winter said defensively.

"He saved your life and wants next to nothing for it, he can be a dick all he wants. I didn't think he was, though."

Winter didn't say anything, because by then the door had opened and Lucas came sauntering in. His dark skin turned black against the glow of the sun, and his curly brown beard was cut down into a smooth shave.

"Morning, kids," he greeted, "Church kick you out already?"

"What meat is this?" Amata asked curiously, holding the meat up for him.

Lucas crouched down and inspected it. "Mole rat meat," Lucas declared, plucking the meat off of the fork and helping himself, "They don't have mole rats down there in that Vault of yours?"

Amata shook her head, "Only chickens and canned meat."

Lucas smiled in disbelief, "What's a chicken?"

"A bird that doesn't fly."

"Ah, so like a crow?"

"Yeah," Amata nodded, vaguely remembering watching a crow in a movie with Winter once. She took a bite out of the meat and was amazed at the flavour and happily ate the rest of it. Winter was silent through everything and didn't eat much. Lucas brought her some water and Amata thanked him, then drank. The water tasted disgusting. like someone had dropped a handful of dirt into it, and when she examined it, flinched at the less than clear tinge.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," Amata said politely, "I think there's something wrong with your faucet."

Lucas frowned and poured some of the water into another glass and drank, "Tastes fine to me."

"Something's up with your purifier," Winter murmured in between drinks.

Lucas ignored her and turned to Amata, "If both of you are up to it, I think it'd be good if you got up and around. I can show you around Megaton."

"I-" Winter began before she was cut off.

"That sounds great," Amata nodded, "We'd be happy to."

"Excellent. Now's okay?"

"Now's great."

"Alright," he nodded. Winter got up on her own and followed them through the door.

Lucas excitedly began his tour the moment they left the clinic. "The first thing you've gotta learn here is that settlements are where you need to be if you want to be as safe as possible," he explained, "Sure we get the occasional bar fight and break in, but no one's died under my watch in almost three months. You stay in these walls, and you'll be fine."

Apart from Wally Mack's murders, nobody had been murdered in the Vault for ten years, but Amata decided not to be picky as she noticed the rifles strapped to the resident's backs.

"How many settlements are there?" Winter asked.

"Only a few, unfortunately. There's Arefu, just to the north, Tenpenny Tower, but that's for the rich folks in the southwest, and Rivet City, a big boat a lot of good folks call home, but it's a struggle to get there. Far north? That's where it gets weird. Lotta guys rule their own kingdoms up there."

"Kingdoms?"

"Not strictly speaking. It's complicated. Some guys build walls around their home and people flock to those walls. Whether or not they call themselves kings or Presidents is their own business. Megaton, however, is a democracy. You know what that is?"

Amata nodded, "Why is it hard to get to Rivet City?"

"A lot of evil, stupid kids tend to call DC their playground. You know how I asked if your Dad was a raider?"

"Yeah?"

"A raider's a guy who moves in a group, they don't live in settlements. They move from building to building and travel along the roads. They capture or kill, or extort anyone they come across who ain't one of their own and take everything they have. When I first came across you, I saw the bruises on your face, and I suspected that you were waiting for me to run into a trap."

"Really?"

"Yep, I don't know how many times someone's run up to me or one of my guys screaming that their friend is in trouble and they need help while a trap is hiding around the corner. Winter was conveniently hidden behind a building, so I apologize that I made you go get her. I thought that there was a group of guys waiting for me."

"We thought we were under fire."

"And it was a smart thing to do what you did," Lucas agreed, "Until you wandered out on your own without your weapon in your hands. That's an excellent way to get captured and dragged off to some worse fate."

"I'm sorry," Amata murmured.

"Hell don't be sorry at me, it'll just take you a while to figure out how to live out here. You'll be fine, you seem like you have a grip on things."

"Thank you. Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"What's north?"

Lucas exhaled and looked at Winter, "Winter?"

"Yessir," she responded.

"Which way is north?"

"What's that?"

"Good grief. Have you ever seen the sun before yesterday?"

"That thing?" Amata pointed, "The thing that hurts to look at?"

"And you can read?"

"I- yes," she answered impatiently, "We aren't stupid. Winter was an engineer before we left, maintaining water purifiers and fixing generators."

Amata kept rattling off their qualifications while Winter looked around. The outside shone so much brighter than the Vault. She tested her courage by looking up at the sky, it seemed to go on and on forever and aside from it's beauty, all it did was make her feel so incredibly small. Winter stayed quiet as Lucas led them on. He kept himself to a slow pace for Winter's benefit, but Winter was no stranger to using crutches, and she hobbled along just fine. It was early morning, so the streets and alleyways were becoming clogged.

"Fuckin' escape a Vault, thought I'd never have to do this again," Winter mumbled as they manoeuvre their way through the crowds.

"Wait out here," Lucas stopped them in front of a school house, "I'm gonna say a quick hello to my son. I'll be one second."

"Sure," Amata nodded. She turned around and frowned at the sullen look that was on Winter's face, "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean, what's wrong?"

"We'll find your Dad, Winter," Amata promised, "We'll figure all of this out. We'll build lives for ourselves, I promise."

"It isn't that. I couldn't even say goodbye to Susie… I keep wondering what they told her…"

It was surely nothing good. Amata's father had become an animal, devoid of any logic and reason. Surely, he would make it his first priority to destroy any idea that Winter and Amata would be safe out there. During their childhood, anytime someone in the Vault suggested to open the door it was met with swift resistance from her father, and if an actual escape took place, a long and brutal jail sentence. In Winter and Amata's time, only three people had tried to escape, all in the same night. One had died during the escape, apparently having shot at a few guards, while the other two surrendered. Amata couldn't remember their names, the escape had occurred when she was only a baby. Susie surely would be told that Winter was either dead or dying, and the Overseer would have to ensure that Susie wouldn't try to follow as well. There wasn't a body to show, but the blood on the ground leading to the Vault's door was plentiful, and enough to scare Susie and probably convince her that her love would surely be dead. Poor Susie, Amata sighed, watching Winter crutch along, looking sullen. She loved Winter so much, and Amata was beginning to understand why Winter was so quiet.

"Now before I show you this… the trick here is not to panic," Lucas said, shattering Amata's train of thought.

"Why?" Winter asked cautiously.

"Well… I doubt that you guys saw it on the run to the clinic… but there is a reason why our town is called Megaton."

"Okay…" Winter said, leaning backward on her crutches and looking at Amata anxiously.

"So… when the bombs fell over two hundred years ago, one particular bomb did not detonate. Instead, it burrowed a hole into the ground so deep and so wide that our ancestors- well- not necessarily yours, but mine, decided to build a town."

"You built a town around an armed nuclear bomb?" Winter laughed in disbelief.

"The bomb is perfectly safe," Lucas said firmly, "All sorts of weather's been going through our town through the years, and it hasn't gone off. We had a man experienced in demolitions take a look at it, and he assured us the only way it could be detonated would be through activating the manual detonation switch."

"And he didn't disarm the fucking thing?!"

"He was certain of how to detonate it, but not certain in how to disarm it," Lucas explained patiently, "We decided we should not take the risk. That was fifteen years ago, and I lose no sleep at night. Hell, some people even built a shrine around the thing."

"O…kay," Winter trailed off.

"Oh hell, I'm not one of them," Lucas chuckled, "They're mad for the most part but very few in numbers, but they pay a tax to keep the bomb there, so I let them worship all they want. The bomb is just across the street from the Common Room, here."

"You think that demolitions guy didn't just feed you a line so he would get paid?"

"Just…" Lucas sighed, "Follow me…"

Winter rounded the corner first, then looked warily back at Amata, "It's a big bomb."

"Yup," Lucas sighed, "The Chinese wanted to make sure the job was done."

"Well they didn't, not in this case anyway," Winter joked lightly, though her voice was shaky and uneven. The bomb sat in a puddle of murky water, surrounded by businesses and two ramps leading up to higher levels of Megaton. The bright early morning sun shone down on the rusted metal, some parts of it had worn away throughout the years, bearing some wires and other mechanical guts. Winter hopped along toward the bomb, outpacing Lucas and approaching a man who stood in the puddle. He was old, his skin bronze and leathered by the sun he gazed upon. His clothing was ragged, wearing a shirt that went down to his thighs and pants that were equally as ripped, ragged, and filthy. His beard descended well past his neck in a thick brown weave. He had two men beside him, dressed just as well as he was, but all three looked up to the sky with their hands in the air.

"Oh, Glorious Atom," the old man called to the sky, "I beg of you to bestow your peaceful glow upon the people of this fair city. Bless Jim and Mary Dower, their child just this moment travels down from the rays of your devotion, to join us in this harsh world. Give them wisdom and guidance as they bring this Child of Atom into the world, and give the child strength and courage for the struggles that lie ahead."

"Don't listen to them, Winter," Lucas said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"That water they're standing in," Winter asked, ignoring Lucas, "Is it safe?"

"Very little water is safe," the sheriff confessed, "We have a water purifier here, but it's fallen on hard times."

Winter looked up at Lucas, "A water purifier?"

"Indeed."

"I can help you," Winter said, "In the Vault, I was an engineer, I helped fix the water purification system!"

Lucas seemed to perk up slightly, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I can fix damn near anything or spend all my time figuring out how," Winter said eagerly, "I have my tools and notebooks in my bag."

Amata held up the bag for proof, and Lucas nodded, trying to hide his obvious excitement, "Well we got Walter who handles all our maintenance stuff, but the old man finds it hard to get around nowadays, what with the ramps and everything. He already has an apprentice, but I could convince him to put you on board. You'd be paid well if you work well, I guarantee that."

Winter nodded, a small smile on her face. Her previous job had been helping a cranky old man with shit his back wouldn't let him do anymore. Why would her new life be any different?

"However," Lucas continued, "I would prefer that your leg Was healed before you went around trying to fix stuff. Common Room's this building right there, speak to Maggie, she has two beds reserved for the two of you. Six in the morning and at night is chow time. It's free food but don't expect it to be gourmet. Listen to what Maggie says, don't do anything stupid, and everything will go fine."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Lucas," Amata nodded, "We'll be fine from here."

"I'll come and see you both in a few days," Lucas promised, "See how well you're fitting in."

Winter had returned to her reserved self once again once they approached the common room. As soon as they walked into the door, a woman leaned over a desk and peered at them, "What're your names, darlings?"

"Amata and Winter," Amata introduced, "Are you Maggie?"

Maggie nodded and smiled a gummy smile. She looked to be only in her late 30's, but a few teeth were missing, and her face lightly scarred but partially masked in a messy mop of light brown hair. On Maggie's desk were two folded blankets with two backpacks sitting on top of them, but to Maggie's back showed the Common Room. Bunk beds lined the floor, with maybe a two-foot gap between each bed for a hallway and a locker against the foot of each bed. Despite all the windows being thrown open, the room still reeked of feet, body odour, and other undesirable smells.

"Lucas has given you rent exception for a month," Maggie explained, carrying Winter's blanket for her as she walked along the rows of bunk beds, "After one month, rent is five caps a night. No drugs, no booze, no fighting, no fucking, no stealing, essentially don't do anything you wouldn't want your bunkmate doing. Here's home, dinner goes for one hour, do not be late, or you're stuck with buying your own food. Bathroom's over there. If you aren't happy with the cleanliness, then clean it up or deal with it. Any questions come and see me, but it ain't that hard."

Maggie left them to their bunk bed. It was clean for the most part, and the blankets were comfortable. Winter slid her crutches under the bunk frame and lay down on the bottom bunk, staring blankly up into space.

"See? We already have a roof over our heads," Amata boasted as she hoisted her blanket onto the top and shoved their bags into the locker, "I'd say we're doing really well."

Winter glanced up at her. One clump of her jet-black hair was masked over one eye, but another bright blue one looked miserably at Amata, "Yeah?"

Amata sighed and sat at the foot of Winter's bed, "I know that this will take a lot of getting used to for us, but I-"

"I'm not worried about this," Winter gestured a hand around the Common Room, "I can do this, this is easy. I just don't… I don't understand why we're here. I should be with Susie right now, you should be at work."

"But we aren't," Amata said simply, "And nothing we can do will change that."

"Do you think if I asked the camera at the door, Susie could come and see me? I just want to say goodbye."

Amata had known Winter since the day she was born. Winter was four months old, and James had been the doctor that had brought Amata into the world. At night, while Amata's mother cradled her softly and cooed at her, Winter began to cry and wail in the other room. Winter's babysitter had fallen through, so James was forced to keep Winter in the waiting room while he delivered Amata. Amata's mother told James to bring the baby in so James wouldn't have to move from room to room. James told Amata that her mother was kind, and it was clear that she pitied Winter for not having a mother of her own.

Winter had calmed down after being fed a bottle of baby formula and soon was asleep in the plastic crib beside Amata. That was how Amata spent her first night, asleep beside her future best friend. Winter had just been an unquestioning element in her life ever since. James handed Winter off to Amata's mother during the day when he went to work and they would spend the day together. After a few years, when Amata's mother died of a heart attack, they still were inseparable.

As they grew up, Amata and Winter both were teased by a portion of the Vault. Winter had enough friends that the bullies didn't affect her much, but precious few wanted to play with the Overseer's daughter, else they might accidentally hurt her and feel the Overseer's wrath. As it turned out, Winter grew taller than Amata did, Winter stopped growing at five feet seven inches while Amata was much shorter at five feet four inches, so Winter took it upon herself to learn to fight and protect Amata, who took one look at Winter and Butch's bloody lips and noses and decided fighting was not for her.

Now, after nineteen years, this was one of the few times Winter didn't have an answer for something. She was deathly quiet and spun the ring on her thumb as she stared blankly at the top of the bunk. Amata felt nothing for losing their home. Her father and Mack had all too happily seen about torturing Amata, and for that, she had no issues with never leaving again, but Winter had a life there that would take some time to disconnect from.

Amata saw to unpacking their belongings while Winter slept. Nobody came up to introduce themselves, in fact most of the beds were empty. Once their belongings were unpacked, she began exploring their new home. Upstairs from where people slept was a living room, with several ruined couches, a table with several decks of cards, and a shelf with books pouring out of their shelves. She took one and thumbed through it before noticing the bathroom. Several baths were lined up in a row along the side, clean for the most part. There were curtains that could be pulled around each bath, but the idea of sharing a bathroom with more than just a few people made Amata uneasy. When she returned Winter was still asleep, so she climbed to the top of the bunk and started to read. Part of her wanted to go about exploring Megaton, maybe ask the old man near the bomb some questions, but she needed to have Winter near, just in case.


	5. Moving On

By two o'clock, Amata decided to wake Winter so she would sleep properly through the night. She tucked the book under her pillow and dropped down. Winter woke slowly, batting her blue eyes that were still heavy with sleep.

"What?" she muttered while rubbing at her face.

"Come on," Amata said quietly, reaching under the bunk and grabbing her crutches, "We should make ourselves known."

Winter nodded and sat up.

"Aww fuck," the older girl grunted and gripped at her right thigh, "Why didn't he just shoot my leg clean off?"

Amata rolled her eyes and helped Winter to her feet, "Grin and bear it. It's a paper cut."

"Shut the fuck up," Winter laughed.

Megaton's steep ramps made of rusted metal were no friend to anyone with a leg wound. It made progress slow, and every awkward step ran the risk of agitating her leg, but Winter managed to get up the ramps without too much complaining. Amata was still taking everything in, at the moment she was staring up at a building with "First School of Megaton" written across it. She tried her best to seem upbeat and hopeful for Amata's sake. Hell, even after getting more sleep, she was surprisingly optimistic herself.

In all honesty, she had expected Amata to be handling things much worse. In fact, she seemed to be coping better than Winter was. The pain in Winter's chest from losing Susie wasn't easing anytime soon, and she couldn't stop worrying about her. While she had slept in the Common Room someone had burst inside and started running around looking for somebody. For a moment, her heart skipped a beat, and she could almost imagine Susie running in, coming to join her in the jaws of this hell. Was it hell? Fuck, it felt like it.

Jesus Christ, the heat. Winter had spent the past few years amongst the likes of heaters, radiators, and ventilation systems, but the outside world was like a cooking pot. She hopped along Megaton wearing a short-sleeved shirt and jeans, and she lasted about five minutes before the fabric clung to her skin. Everyone else in Megaton was wearing a hat and a long sleeved shirt, and an old woman at a market stand scolded both of them for not having either. They had no money, so they declined the woman's offer of a fresh made hat and shirt. While Amata practically dragged them up ramps and looking into the windows of buildings, Winter found herself looking up at the sky. It was clear today, very little clouds which gave the sun free reign. It seemed to beat down on top of her like a pulse.

"Winter?" Amata asked again. She turned to Amata, who was again pointing at a building.

"What?" Winter frowned.

"Read the sign, dummy," she said eagerly.

"Moriarty's," she read, squinting at the faded green sign, "A bar."

"A bar, yes," Amata nodded eagerly, "A bar means booze."

Winter liked at her dry lips, "Fuck, I feel like a drink."

"Don't even think about it," Amata warned, "The amount of painkiller's you're on, I doubt you could even have a thimble of whiskey."

"Thanks for pointing out the bar, then," Winter laughed.

"No- I mean… your Dad could have come through."

"He won't still be in there," Winter sighed, "C'mon."

"I- Jesus Christ, he could have talked to somebody," Amata pointed out irritably, "We go in, ask if anybody's seen your Dad, we can get a lead."

"After you then, Sherlock," Winter pointed her crutch at the door.

"Is that an asshole way of asking for me to open the door for you?"

"… Yes."

Moriarty's was even hotter than outside. It was a relatively small tavern, with a bar a few paces from the front with a few people propped up with stools. Winter eyed a stool at the bar and began to crutch to it. A woman sat at the bartender's side of the bar, but it was clear she wasn't dressed for bartending. She wore a mechanics jumpsuit with the arms and legs cut short so they covered only as much as they needed to. She looked up from a clipboard and smiled at Winter as she settled into the seat. "Afternoon, darlins. Let me go get Gob for you, he'll get you a drink."

She looked up and shouted over her shoulder, "Gob!"

Winter looked up from the bar and froze as Gob approached. Gob didn't look human. When Winter was a kid, her Dad had treated a dumb teenager who had fallen into the deep fryer in the cafeteria. His skin was a mess of different skin layers and colours. His face was a spotted mess. His left cheek was a veiny white while a large part of his right, going up to his forehead, was a bright pink. Gob reminded her of this kid. Gob wore a short-sleeved shirt which exposed his gnarled arms. His red hair was clumped around different parts of his head like someone had attacked him with a razor.

"Ease up, kid," Gob rasped. He spoke like someone had shoved lighter fluid down his throat and lit a match.

"Damn kid went white as a ghost," the woman teased, leaning forward, "You've never seen a ghoul before, kid?"

"I'm sorry," Winter stuttered as Gob looked at her.

"Oh shit," the woman said again as Amata stood beside Winter, still staring, "These are the kids who ran out of the Vault. They don't know any better Gob, go easy on them."

Winter swallowed and tried not to make herself sick as she looked at him. She glanced back at Amata who looked about as shocked as she was.

"Do you know what a ghoul is, hon?" the woman asked.

"I'm sorry, I don't," she stammered, finally giving up on looking at Gob and instead looked at a faded coaster on the bar.

"Well…" she smiled, putting an arm around Winter's waist that almost made Winter fall out of her chair, "A ghoul is a poor soul that's been exposed to too much radiation. Their skin goes bad, their voice goes bad, they don't quite look so pretty anymore."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Winter nodded at Gob when he stared at her, "And I'm sorry for staring."

"Ain't a problem, smooth skin," Gob tutted, his lipless mouth twisting into a smile.

"Smooth skin?" Winter frowned.

The woman nodded and brushed a few fingers across Winter's cheek, "That's what a life without the sun does to you, Gob."

She turned to Winter, "My name's Nova, what's yours?"

She's using you, dummy, Winter told herself. She kicked herself into gear and sat up straight and squared her shoulders before she answered, "Winter. I'm looking for my dad, he would have come through here a day or two ago."

"What did he look like?" Gob asked. Winter was taller than both of them, but as they both leant in towards her, she felt small all of a sudden. Stay calm, dumbass. It's good if you're tough.

"Older guy, thin, around six feet tall, greying brown hair, he had my eyes."

"Let me see," Nova said, gently grabbing Winter by her chin and turning her head.

"Ease off," Winter grumbled and jerked her head away.

Nova chuckled, "You have pretty blue eyes. A guy came in here with eyes like those, just the other day. He spoke to Colin, bought a drink, then high tailed it. I asked him if he wanted company, but he got all shy and ran off. I don't recommend going out there, kid. That leg of yours is absolutely begging anybody that sees it outside of Megaton to take everything you have and blast you in the head for your trouble."

"Where's Colin?" Winter asked.

"Out on business in Tenpenny Tower, he'll be back in a few weeks. Does your bodyguard have a name?"

"I'm not anybody's guard," Amata frowned.

"Good, you're too small," Nova nodded, "You're her bed buddy or something?"

"We're friends," she explained, "C'mon, Winter. We should go."

"One drink," Winter said, "We've had a hard few days."

Amata glared at her.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later," Winter said, hopping out of her chair.

"Come back soon," Nova smiled, "I'll buy you a drink."

"Yeah."

"Well," Amata said in a tone that was nothing but acidic as they left, "You seem to have gotten over Susie fast."

"I didn't do anything," she said defensively.

"No, all you were doing was melting in that chair like a stick of butter whenever she touched you."

"Dude, I'm sorry. Between trying to hold in my food while looking at Gob and getting flattered, forgive me if I blush a little."

"Yeah what the fuck was that?" Amata gasped, "That poor guy."

"We need to talk about that with Lucas, or Church," Winter nodded, "My good looks do a lot of heavy lifting for my shit personality, I can't have it ruined."

"Okay…" Amata sighed, "So… what? You're in the dating game now?"

"What? No! God we've only been out here for a few days."

"So you're eventually giving up on Susie?"

"I- god fucking Christ Amata, why're you giving me shit?"

"I just figured you'd respect her more to not do that."

"I- okay so… am I expected to go through the rest of my life without sleeping with anybody else? Like you?"

"Hey!" Amata yelled, "That is not fair!"

"Why? You aren't interested in it. You start getting interested, I'll be your wingman and find you a great guy or girl or whatever you're into. Until then, it isn't something you would understand."

"Leave my romantic shit alone," Amata warned, "You're being a real asshole right now."

"You're the one acting like I fucked Nova on the bar while Gob gave me pointers and free drinks."

Amata smirked but quickly covered her mouth, "Alright… alright just… we'll drop it. I'm sorry I freaked out about it."

"And I'm sorry I pointed out your… whatever you want to call it."

"Yeah. What do we do now?"

"Well, I'm gonna go and figure out a way to make ourselves less stupid. We need to figure out how this place works, so that means finding someone who can teach us the basics. How to find our way around, how to fire a gun, how to ride a horse."

"I can handle the gun stuff, you…"

Amata gave her an impatient look, "No, finish your thought. Tell me why I'm too dainty to hold a firearm."

"You are dainty."

"Are you forgetting I shot Mack in the head?"

"Oh. How are you doing with that, by the way?"

"Just dandy," she leant forward with her arms crossed and a sarcastic smile.

"Yeah?"

"Well… I mean… I don't know. I'm not having nightmares about it… maybe that comes later. How are you with it, you saw just as much as I did."

"Same as you, but I didn't pull the trigger."

"If we're gonna go looking for your Dad, if that's even what we decide to do… we might have to get more comfortable with the idea of killing."

"It can't be that bad."

"I'm sure it is. That means that- look. Whatever we do, I need to know that you have my back."

"You have it; you know that. Whatever happens, we stay together. Yeah?"

"Yeah, we need to make that promise to one another now. Whether we stay here or go somewhere else, we stay together."

"We stay together."

"Alright, let's go figure out how to be a competent member of society. Let's go find Simms."

/

"Alright," Lucas grunted, "Let's begin."

Lucas had been overjoyed with the prospect of teaching them how to shoot. Despite how nicely he put it, Winter and Amata were basically kids. Probably less than kids, because on the way to the fields around Megaton, they saw a kid no older than seven on a horse.

The gun range was an empty field around one hundred feet wide and around two hundred feet deep. Around the perimeter was a maintained fence with warning signs every ten feet, and down range, at the very end of the range, was a wall of sandbags designed to stop any kind of bullet. Along the range were a few fences containing nothing, instead they were meant to prop up targets. It was the perfect place to get comfortable with learning to use a rifle or a handgun.

Lucas ran through the common sense basics that they both already knew from the movies, don't point the gun at anything you don't want to shoot, always assume the gun is loaded, but Winter was impatient to start.

"Okay so- no!" Lucas scolded when Winter reached out to grab the rifle. He yanked the rifle backward and well out of her reach, "This isn't a toy. I've seen a kid pop their head with one of these. Be. Fucking. Careful."

Winter was more patient this time, slowly reaching her hands out to hold the rifle.

"God damn," Amata tutted, perched on a fence behind them.

"Shut it," Winter smirked.

"Just- pay attention," Lucas chuckled, "Stock to your cheek… that's it…"

/

Two weeks later

Winter slung the rifle to her back and went to get another crate of empty bottles. She had another two hours before the sun set and the range closed, and she intended to use them. In the two weeks since she started learning, she had become obsessed with accuracy and how to handle her rifle. She had started off weak, but the more and more comfortable she got, the more eager she was to perfect it. As she placed the bottles at varying posts on the fence, she glanced across the fields and spotted Amata riding a dark brown horse around the paddock. She'd traded in her Vault jumpsuit for a pair of beaten up jeans and a dark blue shirt. They kept their boots, they were in good enough condition for the work ahead of them. Amata knew how to handle a gun, but she preferred riding more.

 _"You're not gonna be a marksman, and that's okay," Lucas told Amata one day after_ practise _, "You don't have that look in your eye, but you'll be able to handle yourself in a fight with the right type of gun. I just don't see you in a career where you're perched on a_ watch tower _popping people off from fifty feet."_

"I don't see that in myself either," Amata agreed.

Amata liked working in the clinic. When Winter woke up each morning, Amata was already gone. She would meet her in the clinic at lunch and find her becoming more and more involved in the clinic's operation. One day she was wiping up blood, the next she was admitting a patient, the next she was checking temperatures, and the other day she was filling out prescriptions. Winter couldn't help but be proud of her, and happy that Amata finally found something she enjoyed doing all day.

Winter, on the other hand, hated working at the purifier. Walter was a nice guy, and he by no means worked her to death, but it was just so boring. She did all her work, god knows she didn't want to take advantage of an old man and make him do more work than he needed to, but day after day after day of fixing one thing only to have it break again the very next day was driving her insane. She looked at her watch frequently.

She had an eight hour shift almost every single day she worked. After two hours, she would only have two more hours until her lunch break, after that, she would only have five and a half hours left. Five and a half hours meant there was only three and a half hours until there would be two hours left in her day, and by then she would only have two hours until she was home. It was a maddening justification, a story she spun herself to give her hope for the day. The Vault wasn't this bad, it functioned relatively okay. This place was a shitshow.

Winter also never sweat so much in her life. Every day was horrifically hot. She wore gloves while she worked that quickly soaked through, same as her clothes. Her eyes stung from sweat, her mouth always tasted like salt, and the water she was given to drink tasted like rust.

Well, that's your fault, Winter told herself as she worked on a pipe. The pipes were exposed to the earth. People stepped over them on their way around town. It amazed Winter that one asshole with a hammer could ruin their entire day.

And then their day ended. Winter would hobble home and have a bath. Not a shower. A bath. So she could wallow a day's worth of dirt and grime. She shouldn't complain, she had a roof over her head and food in her guts… but she wanted something more than this.

She finished setting up the bottles and walked back to the firing line. Amata was waiting for her, sitting on top of the fence with a small smile on her face.

"Partner," she joked, tipping the top of her hat. Winter hated hats, but Lucas insisted on it.

 _"It's to protect your skin," he told them when Winter complained, "You and I don't have much to worry about though."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"You've got a little bit of my blood in you."_

 _"What?" Winter frowned._

 _"You, your momma or your dad was black, right?"_

 _"What? No, I don't think so."_

 _"You don't think so?"_

 _"Well… maybe. I don't know. I never met my mom."_

 _"Oh. I'm sorry."_

 _"It's okay, I just… I don't know."_

 _"Well… you lived underground for nineteen years never seeing the sun. I met you the day you left, and you had olive skin. I'd say you had a little bit more than just white in your blood."_

 _"Maybe," she shrugged, "Amata's Mexican, she's pretty much the same tone as me."_

 _"The hell is a Mexican?"_

 _"Mexico, below America."_

 _"Ah, you believe that old world nonsense."_

 _"I don't believe it; I was taught it when I was a kid. What country do we live in now?"_

 _"We don't live in any kind of country," he laughed, "Country implies unity and order. Right now, we live in Washington... and it's a shitshow. We live in Washington, not America. despite what those elitist Enclave loyalists say."_

 _"The Enclave?"_

 _"Nothing," he shrugged, "Go and practise."_

"Don't call me 'partner'," Amata giggled.

"How's the riding coming along?"

"Just fine, I want to be able to gallop, though. I wanna go fly like the other riders can. How're you coming along with it?"

"Riding?"

"Yeah?"

"I think around the same as you. You have better form than me though; I bob around too much."

"Lemmie see your accuracy, though. I bet you can't shoot three bottles in a row without missing."

"You know I can do better than that."

"Alright. If you can hit three in a row, I'll…" she leant back to think for a moment before her face lit up, "Alright. If you can hit three in a row, I'll buy you a nice, juicy brahmin steak."

"It has to be a thick one," Winter pointed at her sternly, but with a playful smile, "Not those wimpy little things that look like someone cut off a piece of a couch."

"Of course. If you miss, though, you have to buy me a bottle of whiskey."

"You have a deal- but! - you aren't allowed to psych me out."

"What do you mean?" she gasped, faking shock.

"What do I mean," she laughed, which made Amata laugh, "You fucking running around, like a little asshole, shouting just before I fire and turning the screws on me if I barely hit one."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Amata giggled, grinning from ear to ear and leaning in to tease her, "I am nothing but sportsmanlike."

"Yeah, sure," she smirked, whacking the brim of Amata's hat so it covered her face.

"Alright, let's see it, Robin Hood," Amata beamed and fixed her hat, "How far are they away? Twenty feet?"

"Fifty," she answered, "Work on your distances, dude."

"Yeah, yeah."

Winter approached the firing line, but not before giving her a look over her shoulder, "No bullshit, alright?"

"Cross my heart."

Winter smiled and aimed her rifle. The first shot hit the base, earning a little gasp from Amata.

"Amata…" she warned, not turning away from her rifle.

"Sorry…" she whispered back. The second shot skimmed the top of the neck. Winter cocked the rifle again, but could still hear Amata hissing air into her teeth.

"Amata!"

"I'm sorry!" she laughed, "Come on, you can do it, I'm being serious. You've got this."

Winter squinted. This bottle was a lot shorter and thinner than the others, and when she fired, the bullet just barely missed.

"Damn," she muttered.

"Oooooooh," Amata groaned, "Damn. Oh well."

"One bottle of whiskey," she promised.

"With no spit in it," she added.

"No spit," she promised, "Alright. Well, I'm gonna head up to Moriarty's anyways, I'm dying for a beer. You wanna come?"

"Nah, I'm gonna go see if Church wants more help. I think I saw a guy getting dragged to the clinic for a gunshot wound earlier."

"No shit?"

"Yeah. Alright," Amata hopped off the fence, "You be good, I'll see you at home."

"Yes ma'am," she answered.

/

Nova was on her the moment she walked into the bar. Winter spotted her crossing the room to meet her as she propped up on a stool and greeted Gob.

"Hey Gob, scotch, please."

Gob grunted in acknowledgement and went to make the drink when Nova propped herself up next to her.

"How're you doing, sweetheart?" Nova asked.

"Leg's almost back at full strength," Winter nodded at Gob when he handed her a scotch, "Thanks Gob."

Gob smiled and went back to his work.

"He really appreciates that, you know," Nova said, shuffling close so Gob couldn't hear, "You and Amata are one of the few people here who doesn't treat him like shit. He would never say it, but he's thankful. You're a good kid, Winter."

"Thanks," Winter said, throwing the drink back.

"You want another?" Nova asked.

Winter leant back and shook her head, "Look, Nova... I don't have much mon-"

Nova grinned and looked over her shoulder, before leaning closer to her, "Look… I've seen that look a thousand times. You sit here, looking at that ring on your thumb while downing liquor. You have a girl back at that Vault, don't you?"

"Look… I…"

"I'm not selling you anything, Winter," Nova reached forward and put her hand on top of Winter's, masking the ring with her palm, "I like you. It's so rare to see a kid like you untouched by this shitty world and not be acting like a sheltered prick. You have a good heart in you, and that's a rarity. I know what people need, it's my job to find that out. You did good by Gob, and for that, you helped me. I want to help you."

"Aw hell, Nova…" she mumbled and looked down at her empty glass, "I don't know…"

"Have you ever done it before?"

"Well… yeah. A lot of times… but… not with… you know…"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Nova chuckled, "Don't embarrass yourself. It's not any different, I don't have any special powers, except the ability to turn your mind into mush and make your legs numb."

Winter smirked, "Classy." Why the fuck was she blushing? She was all charm and adored making Susie puddy in her hands.

Don't think about her right now, she told herself.

"Who gives a shit about class?" Nova shrugged, then tilted her head so they kept eye contact, "We're friends. This ain't no business exchange. I'll buy you one drink like a friend buys a friend a drink, you slam it down, we go upstairs and spend the night. What's wrong with that?"

Winter didn't answer, so Nova took it as a yes.

"Gob!" she shouted over the noise of the crowd, "Two scotches!"

Winter's heart thudded hard against her chest. Let her go, Winter tried to tell herself, You can't go back, and she can't go to you. You have to let go. She would want you to be happy. It's been weeks; you need to move on.

Gob put down the drinks, and Nova took hers. Winter wrapped her fingers around the glass and looked up at Nova. Her eyes seemed kind.

"To moving on," Nova said, raising her glass.

"To moving on," Winter echoed quietly, clinking the glass then downing the drink.

"Come on," Nova said gently, gripping Winter's fingers with hers, "Don't think. Just do."

Winter's feet carried her up the stairs while her brain begged her to go back down. Susie kept popping up into her head, demanding that she come back. But she couldn't. She could never go back. She needed to be happy.

Nova opened the door to the hotel room and led Winter inside. It was a beautiful room, with a balcony view of Megaton, now with twinkling lights from the different bars and restaurants. The air was warm and comforting, it helped Winter put herself at ease.

"Here," Nova said, her voice still husky and soft, "Sit down on the middle of the bed. Don't take anything off except your shoes and your jacket."

Winter obliged, slowly sinking herself into the bed. It was so soft compared to the hard beds in the Common Room that she almost wanted to curl up and sleep right then and there, but Nova kept her busy. She went into the drawers and reached in, retrieving an inhaler.

"When he gets back, don't tell Moriarty that I gave you this for free," Nova whispered, climbing onto the bed with her and gently pushing Winter onto her back.

"What is it?" Winter asked quietly. The noise from downstairs seemed so far away, the only thing she could hear was her heart beat thudding wildly against her chest.

"Jet, it's a muscle relaxer," Nova explained and shifted herself so she sat on her knees and straddled Winter's waist, but did not rest her weight against it, "Just one puff, and everything feels infinitely better. No more heartache, no more pain, but the trick is that you only use it once a week, or else it just goes to shit. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she slurred. She couldn't tell if it was her nerves or the alcohol, but she could barely talk.

"Who named you Winter? It's kind of an… odd name."

"My mother did," she answered, "I don't know why… but she did."

"It isn't something you made up?" she asked, running her hands up and down her sides, on the second upwards motion taking her shirt up with her so her ribs were exposed, "Like how some mercenaries say their names are 'Hazard' and 'Calibre'?"

"No," she gasped, "My name is Winter."

"Alright," she chuckled, "I won't make you squirm."

Winter nodded, and with two guiding fingers Nova lifted Winter's chin. Their eyes met, and Nova's eyes softened. Winter was vaguely aware of the fact her mouth was ajar, but Nova didn't seem to notice. The red head lowered her head and pressed her mouth against Winter's. Winter closed her eyes and leant herself forward into the kiss, her instinct telling her to flip them so Winter was on top, but Nova had other plans. She kept her hands on Winter's shoulders and pushed down, keeping her exactly where she was. Before the kiss could deepen any further, and Winter could get too carried away, Nova pulled away, "Open your mouth."

Winter obeyed, and the inhaler was brought to her lips. Nova pulled the trigger, and a cold mist crashed down Winter's tongue and throat. She gave two small coughs before her arms and legs started to feel numb. Her wild thoughts that were racing through her head crashed to a halt, and everything seemed to be going in slow motion.

"Just let me take care of you, baby," Nova soothed, threading a hand through the back of Winter's hair and kissing her again. She felt like she was drifting backward, and Nova's lips moved in a rhythm that only aided in clouding her mind.

"Do you want me to stop?" Nova asked quietly while her fingers brushed against Winter's belt buckle.

"No," she mumbled, "I want this."

"Just relax…" she whispered as Winter closed her eyes, "Just let go…"


	6. Career Day

The morning brought no hangover, only a numb feeling that made Winter feel odd. Before she even opened her eyes, she could feel the sun just barely rising over Megaton's gates, and Nova hadn't woken up yet. Winter was still exhausted, and all she wanted was to just lie in bed for another hour to two, but Walter would absolutely fire her if she was late again. She carefully got up out of bed and found her clothes discarded around the room. Her entire body felt a good kind of empty as memories of the night came back in pieces while she buckled her belt, remembering and finding a few marks left by nail and teeth. She grinned and looked at the mirror to adjust herself. The grin on her face wasn't going to go any time soon, and her hair was a mess. Everything about her looked like she'd been dragged out of a dumpster.

She wasn't sure whether or not to wake Nova, she doubted that nobody would need her for another few hours. She ultimately decided against it, and also decided to test Nova's promise to her by not leaving any money on the table for her.

She crept down the stairs of the now empty tavern.

"Morning, Gob," Winter greeted the tired looking bartender.

Gob didn't look too happy this morning, cheek resting on one of his hands as he lazily scrubbed at the bench.

"Can I buy a bottle of whiskey?"

"A bottle?" he mumbled. With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself off of the bar and went to the cabinet, "Sure, kid."

"You okay?"

"The boss is back," he muttered.

"Oh! Moriarty!" she grinned, "Lemmie talk to him."

"Who's asking for me?" a man in a strange, sing-song accent answered. Winter had heard it before in a movie, and she was straining to remember the name for it. Somewhere in England. _No,_ near England. The man who walked out was old, with wispy white hair and light stubble. He was dressed in a thick coat that went down to his ankles that was coated in dust, and a pipe dangled out of his mouth.

"I am, sir," she held out her hand, "Winter Daniels."

"Colin Moriarty," he nodded, accepting the shake, "You were asking for the manager? What did Gob do now?"

"Nothing," she promised as Gob put the bottle on the bar, "I'm looking for my Dad, someone said you might have seen him."

"I might have done," he smirked, "Look at you, all grown up."

"Excuse me?" she frowned.

"Last time I saw you, you was just a babe in arms," he smiled.

"Oh, no I think you might have the wrong person, my Dad and I grew up in Vault 101."

"You might have, but he didn't. He came in here looking for shelter on the way to Vault 101, you was just a little baby."

Winter's head tilted to the side, "I… no, my Dad and I were born in Vault 101."

"Keep saying it all you want, but it's not true. Your Daddy's name is James, isn't he? He was the doctor at Vault 101, and you were born in July. I know that, because I suggested the name Julie, much better than the silly name your mother picked out for you."

"Jesus Christ," Winter groaned.

"And what would dear old Dad think if he saw you stumbling down the stairs looking like someone knocked your brain loose."

"I'm gonna be sick," she groaned, "What the _fuck_?"

"Don't be too bothered by it, I've heard of the brainwashing that goes on in those things. Damn death-traps if you ask me."

"Where is he?" she asked, it was the only question she could think to ask. Her brain was going around in circles as she mentally adjusted everything she knew about herself. She was born out here.

"He was going to Galaxy News Radio. Why? I have no fucking clue."

"Okay…"

"Gob, get the kid some water, she looks like she's right to pass out."

"You're Irish," Winter muttered.

"Huh," he smiled in surprise, "How did you know that?"

"I don't know. Gob, fuck the water, get me something strong instead."

"You paid for that whiskey."

"It's for a friend."

"Right. Well as much as I would love to stay and watch your brains turn inside out, I should get changed. All I know is that he went to Galaxy News, if you want more answers out of him, you're going to have to follow him there."

Gob poured Winter a shot, and she downed it.

Winter The cold morning air was an unwelcome soberer and the ramps were slick with early morning moisture. Nothing stayed perfect forever.

Amata was still asleep when Winter got back from the bar.

"Amata wake up."

"I- Jesus! Where the fuck were you?!"

"I was born out here."

"What?" she muttered, rubbing some sleep out of her eyes.

"I spoke to Moriarty. My Dad brought me to the bar when I was just a baby on his way to Vault 101."

"He was probably just fucking with you."

"No, he knew my birthday, and he knew Dad's name. Since when does Dad ever talk about me?"

"He doesn't," Amata agreed, "Alright. So did you figure anything out?"

"He's at Galaxy News, apparently. What if my mom is alive out here somewhere?"

"No, I wouldn't think that until you know for sure," Amata said sternly, "You're just setting yourself up for disappointment. So… what're we doing?"

"I need to figure out who I am. I want to go."

"Alright. Where's Galaxy News?"

"… I have no idea."

"You didn't think to ask?" Amata giggled.

"No. Please, Amata I'm freaking out."

"Alright, alright," she got to her feet, "I'm gonna go get dressed. You stay here, we'll go and find Lucas and figure something out. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you sleep with Nova last night?"

"Yeah, I did. Can you yell at me about it later, please?"

Amata looked more sympathetic than angry. She nodded, scooped up some clothes she wanted to wear, and headed to the bathrooms to change. Winter quickly tucked her whiskey underneath Amata's pillow and waited.

/

"Galaxy News, huh?" Lucas got up from his desk and walked to the map, "Alright. We're here and…"

He slowly dragged his finger around a foot to the right, into a red zone and stopped at the centre of it, "There's Galaxy News."

"Great," Winter nodded, "I'm guessing red means friendly?"

"Ha!" Lucas laughed, "No, red is Downtown, and both of you are _nowhere near_ ready for it."

"Well, I don't know how much time we have, for all we know he could be leaving tomorrow."

"It doesn't matter, it's a two day trip to Galaxy News and Downtown is a fucking warzone. Okay, I haven't told you about the BoS, right?"

"No," Amata answered.

"Alright, the Brotherhood lives here," he pointed at a large blue circle to the west of downtown, "They're a military organisation that set up camp around twenty years ago and are trying to tame Washington and turn it into a somewhat productive region. Good luck to them. Right now, I know for a fact that they're trying to clear out the area around Galaxy News, because they use the radio station as a communications point and a small base for their operatives."

"Alright," Winter crossed her arms and studied the map.

"Right now, a collection of raiders, I have no idea about the name, they're trying to drive the BoS out of Downtown, and Galaxy News is a great place to start."

"Why're they trying to do that?"

"Downtown is a raider's wet dream. Lawless, busy, easy to hide, easy to get up to no good. All of this empty wasteland shit, right here," he gestured to the remaining area of the map, "Barring a few small towns, it's small time. Downtown is your illegal weapons manufacturers, your prewar treasures, your good sniper posts, your drug dens… it's concentrated war, and these pricks love it."

"So they fight over…?"

"The idea is to take over Downtown, but that on its own is impossible. You've got three major raider groups, but they oversee fifteen crews each. One crew decides they deserve more than they're getting, they rise up, split off from that crew or get themselves killed, I don't know. Loyalty doesn't mean shit. Here, look."

Lucas spun around on his heel and crossed the sheriff's office. There was an empty chalkboard set up in the meeting room, but when he flipped it over, it revealed a nexus of names. Three large names dominated the top of the board, "Talon", "Crimson", and "Bombers", beneath them was a spiderweb of names connected to names connected to names.

"This thing changes every single day," he remarked, "It's like a goddamn whirlpool. Bombers are one of the top dogs at the moment, but that'll change soon. For some reason, Downtown only allows three big crews, people get antsy when a fourth crew gets too big. These pricks don't stand for anything, but they do like their traditions."

"Holy shit, look at it."

"At any given time, we can estimate that around five thousand of these idiots are running around Downtown at any given time. They'll see you two, clean and without purpose, and snatch you up and sell you like loot."

"So what do we do?"

Lucas' hard eyes looked at her for a moment, then he looked to Amata, "Can I speak to Winter alone for a minute, kid?"

"Sure…" she trailed off, "I'll be in your office."

"Sure."

Amata shut the door behind her and Lucas nodded at Winter to take a seat.

"Do you want this?" he asked.

"Want what?"

"Do you want to find your Dad?"

"I do."

"You're going to be in serious pain. You're gonna have to kill or be killed. That kid outside, she's going to follow you to the ends of the earth because she loves you too much to abandon you, and I don't want you taking advantage of that."

"Hey-" Winter warned before Lucas cut her off.

"Don't bullshit me. You think you're the first kid I've seen wander off into the wasteland? They don't come back the same if they even come back at all. You go through with this, you're risking both of your lives."

"Yeah, actually there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah?"

"I… look… I want to see if I can offer you something better than me working at the purifier."

"Good accuracy doesn't make you a good deputy, Daniels. You have a lot more to learn."

"Then show me. I want another job."

Lucas sighed, "Alright. Look, when I think you've learnt enough and can handle yourself in a fight, I'll take you on a few jobs. Until then, I want you on your best behaviour. Understood?"

"I've got it."

"Alright, prove to me that you've got a good head on your shoulders, okay?"

"I will."

"Alright. Go home, get something to eat, go to work, when I have a plan I'll get into contact with you, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks Lucas."

"Don't mention it."

Winter sat down in the back for all but a few moments, settling down with her beer before Nova was onto her.

"You," Nova growled, grabbing her by the arm, "Come with me."

"What? What did I do?" she frowned.

"I want to know how the fuck you get so good at what you do," Nova mused.

"Oh," Winter sighed, "Yeah, I know. I'm the best in the world."

"Oh, fuck yourself with that bullshit," Nova tutted, "Even when you're whacked out of your mind on Jet you still can work that tongue of yours really goddamned good."

"Yeah," Winter sighed and drank from her beer.

"Winter for god's sake I'm not after your caps," Nova groaned impatiently, "I just need you."

"I've only ever slept with one other person, and you're telling me I'm the best around?"

"The guys I get with just go until they're done then roll over and fall asleep. Almost had a damned heart attack when you grabbed me and pushed me on my back 'n started working your way downward."

"Glad you enjoyed it."

"What's wrong?"

"Moriarty told me that I was born outside the Vault."

"… So?"

"So I don't know what else about me is true. All my life it was 'you're born in the Vault, and you'll die in the Vault'. I don't know anything about my mother, I only know her name and I don't even know if that's true anymore."

"Well… I never met my Dad," Nova said, "I didn't even know his name, Mom would refuse to talk about him. It hurt for a really long time, but after a certain point you start to heal."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You become who you want to be, it doesn't matter who or what you came from."

Winter drank again, "I'm gonna go after him. I have to know."

Nova sighed, "Alright well… Anytime you want to have a roll around with me, baby, stress relief, whatever," Nova said, lightly tapping her ass, "Free of all charges, but next time I want you sober and at your full game."

"This is only my first beer," Winter said, shifting herself so she sat up straight.

Nova grinned, "Let's go then."

"You don't have to work?"

"Day off," Nova purred, "C'mon."

/

Afterwards, Winter lay on the wrong side of the bed so she could watch Megaton come alive for the night. Nova lay with her head on her stomach and followed her gaze while they shared a cigarette.

"Winter?" Nova called her name quietly in the growing darkness.

"Mmm?"

"Don't follow your Dad."

Winter looked down as Nova sat up, "Why?"

Nova took the time to nestle herself against Winter's chest before she answered, "The world out there isn't Megaton. It changes people, and not for the better. You either come out a hardass or dead, and right now you're neither."

Winter took the cigarette out of Nova's lips and brought it to her own, "I have to. I have to fucking know why."

Nova looked at her disapprovingly, "Going into Downtown is a long way to go for an answer to one question."

"It's an important one."

It didn't seem to sway Nova. She shifted her weight off her chest and propped herself up on one elbow. She cupped her cheek and looked at her with a sad look in her eyes.

"Promise me that you'll stay a good kid."

Winter hummed and leant her head back to yawn.

"I'm gonna miss you," Nova sighed.

"I'll be back," Winter smiled, dropping her head down and causing a few locks of hair to fall over her face, "Before you know it."

Nova didn't say anything, but the grip on her shoulder tightened. She tidied Winter's hair and sighed when Winter smirked at her, "At least get a haircut before you go."

"Alright."

"Are you staying the night?" Nova asked.

"Are you working?"

Nova shook her head and looked out the window and into the city, "Megaton looks beautiful at night."

"It does," she agreed quietly, putting the cigarette in the ashtray and toying with her red locks.

"What was the Vault like at night?" Nova asked and nestled further into her shoulder.

"Same as it was in the morning, they just turned off the lights. You know when it's just before night? When the sky goes orange?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't know that could happen."

Nova laughed, "Really?"

"I knew about the sky and the moon and the stars," she nodded, "But I didn't know what a sunset was. There are so many things I want to know."

When Nova didn't say anything, Winter kissed the top of her head before looking down at her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing to worry about," Nova breathed, "I'm about to fall asleep."

"Good idea," Winter agreed. She gently nudged Nova off of her shoulder and onto her back.

"W… what're you doing?" Nova gasped.

"What do you think?" Winter gave her a wicked grin and took a nipple into her mouth.

"Baby, I'm so tired," Nova weakly protested and ran a hand through her hair.

"You don't have to fuck me," Winter shrugged and kissed down her body, "You can owe me one."

Nova laughed breathlessly, "Such a romantic."

"I try."

/

In the morning she walked downstairs to leave but found Moriarty waiting for her.

"Sleep well?" he asked with thinly veiled anger in his tone.

"Just fine," she trailed off, pausing at the middle of the stairs, "Why?"

"Nova, you paid her for her time, yes?"

"Wasn't like that, she said she wasn't working."

"Nova uses my beds to make money, she never has an off night if she's using my beds. Next time, you pay her, or we're going to have a problem."

Who the fuck was this guy? Nova wasn't working, she already slaved for hours for this smug prick. Who was he compared to say, Wally Mack? The guy who she beat the shit out of with a baton. This dude was old, frail, and had no fucking business talking to her that way. Winter cocked her head back and laughed, "Whatever you say, Paddy."

"You're clever to know where the accent comes from, lass," he said, taking a step forward, so they were eye to eye as Winter reached the bottom of the stairs, "But refuse to pay for my employee's time again, you best remember to bring a gun."

"Aye, lad, have a pleasant day," she nodded, mocking his accent as she opened the door to leave, "I'll bring you back a pot-a-gold."

The door barely closed before it burst open again.

"You find some other damn whore to lay, you ingrate!" Colin roared, "My bar's closed to you!"

"Ah, where else will I find such high-quality liquor?" she asked, "I could find better swill in a horse trough. Fuck off, you mick prick."

Colin glared at her and slammed the door to his bar closed, and Winter turned on her heel and headed back to the common room.

/

Winter drew open the curtain to her bunk, which startled Amata to life, "What're you doing sleeping in my bed?"

"I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me if you were going to be out for the night."

"What business is it of yours?" Winter frowned.

"My business is that I worry about you."

Winter only grunted, "C'mon. I need to get dressed, Lucas is going to take me on a ride today."

"Dick," Amata muttered, "I was worried sick."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "I'll let you know where I am."

"Good, because you promised me that we'd stick together. I don't mean be together every second of every day, but if we're really going to be running around doing this, we need to communicate."

"I swear," she nodded, "I'll let you know if I'm going to be gone."

"Alright. When we come home tonight, I want to talk about some stuff. Not about this, just… something else."

"Alright," she nodded, "C'mere."

Amata hugged her and smiled when Winter kissed her cheek.

"Be good," Amata said.

"Never," she grinned.

/

Lucas seemed disappointed when Winter approached.

"Was this the wrong day?" she asked.

"No, just hoped that you would have changed your mind."

Winter shrugged helplessly, "I took you up on your offer. If you've changed your mind, I understand. I'll find somebody else to teach me."

Lucas sighed and finished saddling his horse, "Alright."

"Also, where can I buy a good handgun?"

"Why do you need a handgun right now?" he asked impatiently.

"No reason, I just wouldn't mind the protection. I feel naked walking around being the only person that isn't armed."

"What happened to that 10mm you guys had?"

"Someone stole it," she explained, quick to elaborate when Lucas glared at her, "It wasn't my fault, Amata had it, and even then the only reason it got lost was because of some guy-"

"It doesn't matter. I'll take you to our gunsmith and help you pick out a good one," he sighed, "In the meantime…"

He reached into his saddlebag and handed her another 10mm handgun, "This is a _loan_. Lose it, and you'll have to pay me back."

"Got it. Thank you," Winter nodded, sliding it into her vacant holster, "Do I get a rifle too?"

"You do. Same rules regarding the loan. Also, if you point it at anything, or do anything stupid, I'll hogtie you to the back of my horse."

"I'll be good. I promise."

"Alright," he nodded towards the stables, "Your horse is in there, little white and black thing named Winston. Saddle him up, we're leaving in ten minutes."

/

Winter led Winston out of the stables to meet up with Lucas. He was in the middle of a meeting with his deputies.

"Alright, some of you may have already met Winter, she's that kid who crawled out of that Vault a few weeks ago," Lucas began as Winter mounted her horse, "She's gonna be riding with us today. Keep in mind, boys, she's green. She knows her way around a gun, but in regards to everything else she's just like you were when you first started. Remember, we're a team, and we value leadership. Understood?"

The deputies all nodded.

"Alright, this is the play," Lucas said, "This is a simple patrol, we move around, check for trouble, come home. Understood?"

They all agreed, and so Lucas dug his heels into his horse and led them through the gates. It was mid-morning, but the sun was already out with a vengeance. Winter had gotten used to it the last few weeks, but it still didn't change the fact that within minutes she had a thin sheen of sweat.

One of the deputies took point, and Winter noticed Lucas falling in beside her, "Colin Moriarty has a few bad words to say about you."

"Let him say 'em," Winter shrugged, trying to adjust her body so she could keep in rhythm with the horse.

"If it doesn't bother you, then fine, but I don't want you fighting the man. Like it or not, Nova has a job to do, and if-"

"Simms, please," Winter winced, "I don't wanna talk about that."

"Fine," Lucas waved the conversation off, "You're getting better on your horse."

"I'm trying."

"Yeah, have you ever killed a man?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I beat the shit out of one guy with a baton once. I don't know if I killed him."

Lucas made a small grunt that sounded like disapproval, "You're proud of it?"

"The guy and I had a history. We got in fights before."

"Enough to kill him for it?"

Winter didn't know how to respond to that, and before she could think on Lucas' question, she spotted a man galloping toward them, whacking the horse with his hat to make him go faster.

"Who's that?" Winter asked.

"One of our builders," Lucas explained. He put his heels into his horse and started riding for the man, his deputies and Winter swiftly falling in behind him.

"Sherriff!" he hollered, "Sherriff, you won't believe it!"

"What? What's happened, Dominic?"

"Raiders! A whole gang of them just took the school building in Springvale!"

"What?! How?!"

"I don't know! I saw some guys poking around and… and… hell, I don't know sir. Before I knew what was happening, I saw them taking pot shots at us from the top of the building!"

"Is anybody hurt?"

"No, no I don't think so. I managed to get out quick though, I rode straight for you."

"Good man," he nodded before looking over his shoulder, "Jacob!"

"Right here," one of the deputies answered.

"Take Dominic and Winter with you, ride to the station and get more backup."

"Whoa hang on, I wanna-" Winter started to protest.

" _No_ ," he answered sternly, "You aren't ready for a fight like this."

"Am so. Simms, I'm ready, trust me."

"Two weeks with a rifle and you think you're ready?"

"I can do it, I swear!"

Lucas groaned, "Alright! Ride with Jacob, get a doctor and get them to us. If you die, I am _not_ losing sleep over you."

The ride back to Megaton put Winter's riding skills to the test. Jacob rode his horse like a demon, practically kicking it to death as they rode. Her horse kept up just fine, but he writhed a bit, especially over the jagged terrain. After a few close calls where she almost slipped off, they reached the gates. Jacob, not even exchanging a word to Winter the whole ride over, immediately made for the sheriff's office while Winter made a move for the clinic.

"Hey!" Amata smiled, "I won't be ready to go to lunch for a while but-"

"I need a medic," Winter interrupted her, "Someone to go to Springvale with us."

"Springvale? What? Those construction buildings where we met Lucas?"

"Yeah, you remember the school next to those buildings?"

"I do."

"Well, some gang of dipshits just took the school. Are any doctors free?"

"Nobody, someone just had a stroke, and another got shot in the dick last night, all our doctors are on call to treat them."

"Shit," she muttered, "Alright just…"

She glanced to the emergency medical supply kit in the corner, a satchel meant for these exact occasions.

"Where are you going?" Amata frowned as Winter took it and headed out the door.

"Springvale elementary," she grunted as she mounted, "I'll be back before dinner."

"Why're you going there?" she yelled after her, following into the street.

"I'm gonna help Lucas and his boys clear it out," she took the reins and looked down at her, "Don't give me that look, I'll be fine."

"It's really starting to bother me that you don't understand the finality of a bullet to the head."

"I got one in the leg for reference," Winter joked, "I'll be fine."

"Are you guys going to wait for a medic to go with you?"

"Probably not, no. If they get dug in too deep, it's going to be a problem. But if we get to them now, it'll be easy."

Amata tilted her head and glared at her. She could always tell when Winter was lying through her teeth.

"I'm not taking you," Winter said firmly when Amata started walking for the clinic.

"No, I'm just going for a ride myself," Amata said over her shoulder as Winter walked her horse forward, "If there's nothing to be worried about then surely you wouldn't mind me tagging along."

"Amata for God's sake," Winter grit her teeth in annoyance, "Fine. We'll leave in ten minutes."

"I'll saddle Church's horse., he won't mind if I borrow it."

/

Winter looked up at the mountain that countained the Vault, her horse swaying her side to side. If she squinted, she could _just_ make out the rotted wooden door. Twenty feet away from that was the Vault door, and fifty feet down was Susie. She wondered what she was doing right now. _It's Tuesday, she would be teaching_ , Winter thought, _I wonder if she's still grieving._

"Winter," Amata called softly, suddenly beside her.

"Hey," she turned away from the Vault, "Is something wrong?"

"You still miss her, don't you?"

"I'll always miss her."

"Nova isn't enough?" Amata teased.

"Leave Nova alone, she's trying to get out."

"Uh huh," she tutted and shook her head, "And you're trying to cut down on your drinking."

"I never promised that," Winter muttered.

"Your poor liver," Amata whimpered, nudging it with her finger.

"Ow!" Winter laughed, reaching over and pushing her back.

"Winter!" Jacob hissed loudly. Winter turned and saw him begin to dismount. While they were gone, Lucas sent another one of his boys, a scout who had earned his unique nickname "Scout", to look around while Lucas was checking on the builders. Winter had seen Scout in the bar a few times, trying and failing to pick up some girls. He had a baby face, and blonde hair so light it was almost white and a dusting of freckles along his cheeks. He looked about as much of a deputy as Winter looked like a priest. He was jogging back to them, deliberately keeping his head down.

"Someone is inside," Scout whispered, "I only saw one, but he was a filthy bastard, had a sword on his hip and a mean looking rifle."

Jacob hummed and shook his head, "Could be a trader…"

"Why would a trader settle in the school?" Winter tutted, "It's raiders, surely."

"Then we should go back home," Scout said easily, mounting his horse, "Call the Brotherhood and let them sort it out. They have a base only a half day's ride from here."

"I want to be sure," Jacob said. He stood taller than all of them in his saddle, and the way he said it put no doubt in their minds about their next move. Jacob was twenty-five in a month, and it was no man's mystery who Lucas was planning to be his successor. One could say he even looked like Lucas, ebony skin with a trimmed beard, determined brown eyes and broad shoulders. He commanded respect from them all, but he had one fault: His lack of compromise. Winter knew it two minutes into the ride back to Megaton. It was his way or no way at all.

"What's our plan, Jacob?" Winter asked, annoyed at the approach, "Or should we wait for the boss man?"

He thought for a moment, "If you would cover me, I could approach the front door and ask to speak to their leader."

"Ah yes, the diplomatic approach," Winter nodded, leaning back in her saddle, "The best approach for people that don't believe in laws and honour. That's the stupidest plan I have ever heard."

"They are people like you or me, Daniels," Jacob said sternly, "Maybe they're a cowardly bunch of fools. Once I tell them they've been found out and tell them the Megaton Sherriff's Department is coming, they might scatter."

"They are raiders, they don't see sense," Scout insisted, "If we're going to do this, we should at least show force. It's a good thing we brought more men, it would help if we could back up our words."

"I will ask your opinion when I want to hear it, Scout," Jacob sighed impatiently, "Right now, I want Winter to cover me while I try to talk them down. We don't need this to end in slaughter. The more time we give them to prepare, the worse it will be for us."

"Why don't we just wait for Simms?" Amata asked.

"I've run operations without him before," he answered irritably, "I know how to handle these guys."

Winter and Amata both glanced at Scout, who looked more annoyed than scared.

"Fine," Winter sighed. She looked at Amata, who was looking warily back at her. The other three men they brought with them dismounted and drew their respective arms and Jacob began to walk down the ruined path toward the school.

"A lookout's run back into the building," Scout warned.

"Jacob…" Winter unslung her rifle and took a few paces towards him.

"Jacob, let's just stop for a second…" Amata added.

"I ain't running back to Lucas like a scared little boy."

"Jesus Christ, Jacob _I'm_ fucking scared right now!" Winter hissed, "You want me to hit a one-hundred-foot shot with a rifle without a scope, what if I miss?"

"Hey, you were the one who said you were ready. Don't miss," Jacob shrugged, "I'm taking Deputy Mosby with me if you miss, he won't."

Jacob turned his back and started walking with Mosby. When he was out of earshot, Winter turned to Scout, "This moron's going to get us killed."

"Not me," Scout decided, mounting his horse, "I'm riding for Simms, I'm not dying for Jacob's pride."

"Fair enough," Winter agreed, "I'm gonna stay here and watch this shitshow, I'll help where I can."

"Alright, what about you?" Scout asked Amata.

"I'm staying with her," Amata answered.

"Okay. Good luck, I'll meet you both soon."

"Good luck, Scout."

As he rode off, and Jacob approached the entrance to the school, fear began to overwhelm Winter's body. Her heart slammed into her chest, but somehow, she managed to keep herself calm. Right now, she had to look after Jacob.

"Just relax," Amata soothed as Winter lay down on the ground, shouldering her rifle.

"I don't know what the fuck Jacob's thinking," Winter sighed.

When Jacob and Mosby got around twenty feet from the door, the door burst open. Three men sprung out of the building, all armed. The man leading the other two pointed at Jacob and yelled something at him.

"Amata," Winter began, not taking her eyes off of the men, "I have some binoculars in the saddle bag, I want you to look for any other guys in the windows."

"Okay," she said shakily.

Jacob was holding his handgun, but the others already had their guns on him.

"Shit…" Winter hissed, "Come on, Scout…"

Mosby was waving his gun around and shouting like a maniac. The three men kept shouting, and Jacob struggled to keep Mosby calm.

Winter's heart pounded against the dirt as she struggled to make a decision. She had a clear shot at one of them, the one holding the shotgun. The sun pounded on her, and sweat was pouring from her hair and into her eyes. Amata was saying nothing, but her fingers gripped the binoculars so hard her knuckles were white. One shot from her, miss or hit, would cause the other two raiders to fire. She couldn't see an outcome where none of her colleagues would walk away unharmed, except for blind luck.

Jacob's rifle was pointed at the dirt, while the other five guns were pointing at hearts and lungs alike.

"I don't know what to do," Winter blurted and wiped the sweat from her eyes.

"There's more inside, I'm sure of it," Amata whispered.

"Fuck me," Winter groaned, "Where is Scout?"

"Forget about Scout," Amata hissed, "There's only us."

"Oh, what the fuck," Winter groaned when Jacob dropped his rifle, and his other men did the same.

"Oh my god," Amata stammered.

Winter's finger rested on the trigger, and she pulled it back just far enough that she was one half of a finger twitch away from firing. One of them, the one in the centre, barked orders at the other two.

"You stupid motherfucker," Winter complained, "I'm going to do it."

"Do what?"

Winter answered with a gunshot. The bullet hit on the left side of the leader's throat and sent him to the dirt. Winter cocked her rifle again and fired, missing the raider on the left and instead skimming the dirt at his feet. He jumped to avoid the bullet that would have already hit him, while his buddy waved his rifle around looking for her. Both forgot about their captives, which gave Mosby enough time to grab his knife and stab his closest raider in the throat. Winter shot again at the last surviving raider, and this time didn't miss. His body hadn't even hit the ground before Jacob and Mosby were running back up the hill. Jacob had blood all over his neck and shirt from the man Winter had shot, but it was the look in his eyes that Winter was worried about.

" _When did I tell you to fire?!_ " he screamed. Winter was halfway through finding her feet when he shoved her by her shoulders and sent her toppling into the dirt. He put a boot on her chest and pointed at her like she was a disobeying dog, "If you _ever_ take a shot like that again, I'll fucking hang you."

"You told me not to miss," Winter grunted.

"Don't fucking touch her!" Amata yelled.

"All of you shut up, here comes Lucas," Mosby announced.

Lucas had brought forth thirty men, all mounted. Scout led them at a canter, which turned into a gallop when he spotted the red on Jacob.

"What the fuck happened to a recon job?" Lucas shouted as he arrived. Jacob, still with his boot on Winter's chest, pointed at her accusingly, "She fired on them first, sir."

"Jesus Christ, Winter," Lucas cursed, "Jacob, for god's sake. Control your men and help that one up."

"Jacob led a party out to meet with the men in charge," Amata explained as Jacob reluctantly helped Winter to her feet, "Jacob surrendered his guns to the raiders, and Winter fired on them."

"I didn't realise I had assigned a bunch of dimwits to do a grownups job."

"The raiders were pointing their guns at them. Jacob lowered his damned guns and surrendered to them," Winter objected.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Lucas shouted. His skin was going a shade of red, and he glared at the both of them, "Forget it, we'll talk about this later. Right now, we're going to storm this building. Do you understand? I want no fucking squabbling. Jacob, I want you to ride back and bring me ten more men."

Jacob echoed Lucas' red face, but he left all the same.

Lucas went to work dispatching his teams, and Winter drew marksman duty while the explosives team went about blowing the door, then she would rush in and follow them inside. Amata was told to wait outside with Winter. There was no point in a medic running in, not yet. Amata wasn't even a medic, but she probably knew how to patch up a wound better than a gaggle of deputies… probably.

"Oh no, Amata," Amata said in a mocking tone, "Don't come along. It's going to be fine. We _absolutely_ won't need a doctor."

"Amata shut the fuck up, I'm trying to concentrate."

"I don't even have a helmet."

"Neither do three-quarters of the guys here, and I'm willing to bet none of the raiders inside do either."

Each side of the main door into the school was flanked by five men each, each ready to storm in. The explosive's team wired the detonator, a device that Winter would have happily called a cherry bomb. It existed to blow the lock, not the doors.

"Fire in the hole!" one of the team shouted. The explosion was small, and one of them smashed the door open using a metal ram.

"Check your corners! Check your corners!" Lucas shouted as they poured in. Winter scrambled to her feet and started running down the hill after them, while a small little voice in the back of her mind was trying to tell her exactly what she was about to do. Gunfire erupted within the building. She could see flashes of light coming off the walls and could hear people screaming. She ran into the room and followed Lucas' party. Five raiders lay dead in a heap around them, their bodies riddled with bullets.

The building had used to be an elementary school, so the first floor had eight large rooms around the corners with a thin rectangular room in the centre that would have been a staff room. Lucas led them all to clear each room, and each room was already being set up for living in. One man was even trying to sleep in a sleeping bag They were confident, Winter wouldn't deny them that.

"Hands up!" Lucas shouted at him, "Hands up! Hands up!"

The sleeping man reached for his rifle and got a shotgun blast into his chest for his efforts. The blast stunned Winter for a moment, but instinct told her to keep going.

"Mosby," Lucas ordered, "This is our room for prisoners, you're on guard duty."

"Yes sir," he nodded.

"Winter," Lucas said, "Take Mosby's shotgun, you're on point."

Mosby seemed happy enough to hand the shotgun over, but Lucas told Winter to keep her rifle slung over her back. Mosby took the dead man's rifle and began his watch.

Each building on the first floor went the same way. Lucas swung open the door, and Winter threw in a grenade checked her corners after it went off. On the last room, Winter spied a pair of green eyes looking wildly at her with a shotgun pointed at her stomach. Winter fired without even thinking. The raider's stomach tore apart and sent a rain of blood across the room, accompanied by a scream that still rung in Winter's ears as they cleared the empty staff room.

While they were busy clearing the first floor, the second team was carving their way up the second. Explosions and gunfire rung over Winter's head as she took a five-minute break, at Lucas' orders. She sat against the wall to the staffroom and took a few nervous sips of her canteen. There were no windows to look at, and the classroom setting reminded her too well of Susie.

 _She thinks I'm dead,_ Winter concluded as she drank three long gulps from her canteen, _She must think that. I would think that. I never even said goodbye. She would have wanted me to sleep, so she didn't wake me up when she was going to work. All she needed to do was shake my shoulder, tell me where she was going, and I would tell her that I loved her and kiss her goodbye. I should have found her, I should have-_

"Winter," Lucas called. He stood at the front of the door with a bullet wound in his shoulder.

"Shit," Winter gasped, "Holy shit, Lucas! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he hissed and stumbled towards her, "I need you to go and find Jacob. He can lead as you guys clear the basement. Find Amata as well… I don't think the bullet passed through me."

Winter winced, she knew what it felt like to be shot and she didn't envy the man. She took off running for the second floor but in the corner of her eye she noticed movement, just as she ran past another classroom. Stopping, she looked inside, but a raider suddenly burst into the building and spotted her. She wouldn't be quick enough to raise her shotgun and turn, so Winter bolted into the classroom.

Winter ducked down underneath a desk and felt a wooden plank explode over her head. Splinters showered over her hat but that was the least of her worries.

" _Goddammit,_ I'm pinned down!" Winter shouted, "I can't get out!"

"Someone help Daniels," Lucas shouted, another burst of gunfire drowning out his voice. The blast destroyed the opposite side of the desk.

Winter groaned and felt something nudge her shoe.

"Fucking fuck!" she screamed, snatching the grenade and hurling it through the gap the blast made. She scrunched her eyes tight and covered her ears. She heard the blast immediately cringed, expecting to be ripped apart or shot. After what felt like an eternity, nothing had happened to her, and she finally felt safe enough to open her eyes.

The wall opposite her was painted in a red mist, and she heard a wet gurgling. Winter peeked around the corner and froze. Wide, terrified green eyes stared at her, a jaw blown apart and tongue hanging out of his mouth as blood began to flood out. His body twitched, revealing a ripped apart neck and chest. Winter jerked forward and gagged, when holding out her hands to catch herself her palms slapping against a pool of blood. Quickly, she scrambled up and grabbed her gun before running out of the room. She ran into the classroom where Lucas was talking with Jacob, threw her gun to the floor, found a corner, and lurched.

"Holy shit!" Lucas shouted, "What happened to you?!"

"Grenade," she answered, "I need to shower. I need to get this off of me!"

"Get Amata," Lucas ordered Jacob.

"Now?"

"Yes, now!" he shouted.

Winter slumped against the wall and tried to control her breathing. All she could see when she closed her eyes was that man, struggling on the ground as he bled out. She did that. She had killed people today. There wasn't a question about it, not anymore. She couldn't hide behind ambiguity.

"Oh my god," Amata gasped. She immediately ran to her side and started rubbing at her face with wipes, "Where are you hit?"

"I don't think this is my blood," she stuttered, "I don't think this is mine."

"Take off your jacket," Amata ordered, "Take it off."

"Holy shit," Winter groaned, "I made it."

She helped Amata get her out of her own jacket and while Amata worried over her wounds, the feeling of victory started to pulse through her. It was something she could get used to. Running around in combat, defending your land from people trying to take it away, it felt _good._ Winter felt _great_. As Amata worked on checking her, tending to a cut on Winter's wrist that was far from life-threatening, Winter knew that her days of fixing machinery were over.

This was the work that she wanted.


	7. Preparation Day

Winter didn't feel much of anything as they left the school, roughly an hour after the last raider had been killed. Jacob had been shot in the knee by a hidden raider as they did the final sweep of the building, and he was being an absolute fuck-spill about it. He wailed like a baby the moment the bullet made contact, writhing around and making life difficult for Amata, who was stuck trying to treat him. He refused to get on his horse, and he refused to be helped onto someone else's. No, Jacob needed a wagon. Amata was being far too nice to him than Winter would have been, all smiles and caring words, acting like his mother as he cried and wailed. Winter thought she was being a little bitch about it when she got shot a few weeks ago, but at least she had gotten up and moved around. As they left the school with two deputies carrying a sobbing Jacob, Winter went to scratch her eye and flinched.

Someone else's blood was all over her, and as it dried, all it did was make her itch.

"Daniels," Lucas ordered, "Go home and take a shower."

"What about you?" Winter asked Amata as they dumped Jacob onto the ground to wait for his wagon.

"I'll be fine, I've gotta take care of the baby," she muttered to her over the sound of his crying.

"I can stay if you want."

"No," she said firmly, "You look like you bathed in blood, it isn't hygienic."

"Okay," she mounted the horse and got settled into the saddle, "Once I get cleaned up, where do you want me, Lucas?"

"Home, for the day. Process everything that happened. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Alright."

Winter didn't want the Common Room, she wanted a bed and a bath all to herself, not having to compete with strangers. As she rode through the gates of Megaton, she regretted being such a prick to Moriarty, but she sure as shit wasn't about to apologise, or pay for a room and Nova's company. People stared, and some people even gasped and turned away. There was another hotel near the bomb, and it would have to do… no… it wouldn't… even if she scrubbed herself for hours, just lying on one of the disgusting beds would be misery. She needed a house... she should talk to Lucas about buying a house.

Walking past the marketplace, she spotted Gob lurking around one of the produce stalls, trying to decide on an orange to have for his lunch break. He seemed to sense that someone was staring at him, then quickly abandoned his oranges and approached her.

"Pst, kid!" Gob whispered.

"What?"

"Jesus, you look horrific."

"Thanks, Gob."

"You need a bath. Here, meet me at the back of the bar, I can sneak you in."

"Moriarty will-"

"He ain't here, but if one of his regulars or one of the guards sees you, they'll either blab for a free drink or throw you out."

Winter walked around the back and quickly slipped inside when Gob opened the door and led her into the office.

"Here," he whispered, opening a cabinet door which led to a ladder, "Moriarty creeps along the crawlspace to get into rooms sometimes."

"… Well, that's fucking sinister."

"You're telling me. He mostly steals shit from rich fellas."

"I'm sure the women they sleep with are thrilled about taking the blame."

"That's what the security guys are for. I'll let Nova know you're here."

Winter crept along the crawl space and, true to his word, found a small latch with "5" written on it. Opening it revealed "Nova's" room or at least the room she used with Winter, and it was empty. She dropped down and smirked up at the open frame on the ceiling, "I always wondered what that little latch was for."

Winter looked at her trembling hands and started to rub away the dried blood. Her stomach was lurching, but there was nothing left to heave up. The door swung open, and Winter looked up, clutching her hands together so they would ease the shaking. It was Nova, with a terror in her eyes that made Winter jump to her feet.

"What's wr-" Winter gasped. Nova grabbed Winter by her neck and crashed their lips together.

"I heard about what happened," Nova said, "People are saying five people died."

"Six, probably, but they were raiders," Winter slurred, her tongue going numb in her mouth. She could taste the blood in her mouth again, smell it in the air.

Nova looked down and gently gripped Winter's shaky hands, "Come on… You need a bath."

"No… no… shit. I shouldn't be here; I should be with Amata."

"You can't help anybody right now, baby," Nova said, "You'll feel better when you're in a bath. No- actually… a shower would be better for you."

As she followed Nova into the bathroom, her boots suddenly felt like concrete slabs, and the usual warmth she felt around Nova was smothered by a shroud of dread. The screams of the man she killed kept replaying in her head, even more so when the tap screamed as Nova turned it on.

Nova started to run the shower while Winter worked on scrubbing her hands clean in the sink. There was always a little splotch of red under a nail of between a finger, but she managed to get most of it off. She felt warm arms wrap around her, "Shower's ready, baby."

She nodded, shakily getting undressed. Buttons were impossible.

"No, no," Nova hummed, turning her around so she faced her, "Just relax…"

"I can't," Winter shuddered. Nova's fingers moved expertly, unbuttoning her shirt and jacket, throwing the bloody garments onto the floor. Winter lowered herself into the bathtub, Nova sitting down on the tiles beside her. Nova folded her arms over the porcelain tub and rested her chin against it. She gently stroked Winter's hand, "This happens to everybody, okay? Don't think any less of yourself; it'll feel better soon."

"I killed a guy."

"Who was going to kill you," Nova said firmly, "You're stronger than them, than all of them. You kept us safe, you kept me safe, and you can only be proud of yourself for that."

Winter stayed quiet and looked down at the water flowing down the drain, with little rivers of red rushing down alongside it.

"I'm proud of you," Nova said, snaking an arm around Winter and holding her close, "You did something that a lot of people wouldn't have had the courage to do."

Thankfully, most of the blood had sprayed onto Winter's clothing, leaving her skin, aside from her hands, mostly untouched. Still, Nova made sure she was completely clean before turning the shower off and directing Winter back onto the bed. Winter settled while Nova rummaged through the drawers.

"Here, it'll make you feel better," Nova smiled, bringing the jet to her lips. The spray flooded her mouth and made her cough.

"I know," Nova soothed as her fingers stroked her damp black hair, "It takes a while to get used to it."

"Tastes like shit."

Nova laughed and laid down beside her, "You'll be okay, Winter."

"I know," she mumbled as the Jet set in.

"Don't touch me when I'm out," Winter murmured as she closed her eyes, "Just let me ride this out."

"Okay," Nova said gently, "Let me cuddle you at least."

/

In the morning, Winter could sense something was wrong. Nova was tightly wound and very nervous, constantly rubbing her hands together and pacing as Winter got dressed. Nova declined Winter's advances and only told her to get dressed. Winter was feeling a bit better from what happened yesterday, but she still was anxious as she sat down to lace up her boots.

"Winter," Nova began.

"Yeah?"

Nova dragged her palms along the thighs of her shorts, "I'm supposed to charge you now."

"What? I thought this was just a- you told me no charge."

"I know… I know… but things change."

"I'm not paying," she stammered, rising to her feet, "I- hell how the fuck can you say that after all I've been through today? I'm supposed to pay for you to fuck me? You should be paying me!"

"I -wow… Don't take it personally," Nova said, a little stunned at her outburst.

"How else am I supposed to take it?"

"Like an adult."

'I thought that's what you liked about me. That I'm young and stupid, that I don't know any better."

"Winter, just… if Moriarty finds out and I didn't get compensated…"

"I don't have any money on me, Nova. All my cash is going toward a handgun."

"Don't make this hard for me, Winter."

"Ah you're breaking my fucking heart," Winter groaned.

"What about the ring?" she said, gesturing to Susie's ring on her thumb.

"No!" she answered, jerking her hand back, even though Nova didn't make a grab for it, "Not the ring."

"Why not? It's pretty."

"It was hers," she answered.

"Well… what happened to moving on?"

"I'm not giving you her ring!"

"Nova!" someone knocked on the door, "You all good?"

"I'm fine!" she yelled over her shoulder before looking at Winter, "I need something worth at least ten caps."

Winter fucking hated how these people used currency. A cap was a bottle cap, and it made it a huge pain in the ass to pay for anything. They were scratchy and unpleasant to hold, and they made a chiming noise when you walked around with a sack of them, practically begging for somebody to come and take it from you.

"Tomorrow, I'll have the money for you tomorrow."

"Winter…"

"Why didn't you tell me this before we did it?"

"I thought you knew."

"Bullshit. Nova, I don't have any money."

"Your boots then. They'll sell for ten caps."

Winter was stunned, she had to collect herself for a moment before she spoke, "I don't have a spare pair of boots, I barely have two shirts."

"Winter…"

"Stop saying my fucking name!" she shouted. She marched for the door, but Nova was blocking it.

"If I don't give him the money, he will beat me," Nova said through her teeth, "I need the money, Winter."

For a brief, fleeting moment, Winter wanted to grab her and hurl her across the room, but she couldn't. Instead, she took off the boots and tossed them against the wall, "Go fetch."

"I'm sorry."

"Go fuck yourself," Winter scowled, "I never want to see you again."

"We can still be-" Winter could only assume Nova had offered friendship, but her words were drowned out by Winter slamming the door behind her.

"Hey!" Moriarty shouted as she walked down the stairs, "I thought you were banned?"

"I paid," she hissed.

She burst out of the bar with tears stinging her eyes, but she refused to cry. Her guts were writhing inside her, and the humiliation of it kept playing in her head, over and over and over again as she walked down to the common room.

You should be paying me, what the fuck was that? She scolded herself, You fucking dick. You're a fucking dick, but she's worse. She took pity on you, she never really liked you. She used you. She used you, and you let her use you.

Amata wasn't at her bunk. Good. Winter didn't want to have to deal with anybody. She crawled into her bed and yanked the curtain across it to give her some privacy. She wouldn't have minded if she disappeared. People were laughing and joking around her, and Winter hated every single one of them. Don't hate them, she told herself, The world doesn't need to grind to a halt for you.

That was true. Amata was working, Jacob was shot, Lucas was god knows where, and Winter was sitting in a bunk choking back tears like a baby. She'd just killed a man, less than a day ago, and she was sitting here like a dumped teenager. Considering all of that, Winter decided to be useful, but first, she needed to calm down. She found her money pouch hidden in the locked drawer in her bunk and drew out her cash, then went down to the market and bought a ten cap bottle of whiskey. She finished a quarter of it, enough to get a buzz, dropped the bottle off to her bunk, and headed for the clinic in better spirits.

/

The silence in the clinic was like having a weight pressed on Winter's shoulders. Amata sat on the couch in the corner of the waiting room, her head leaning back against the wall in an attempt to get some sleep.

"How is he?" she asked.

Amata's head slumped forward, smiling at her, "Hey… He'll be alright. Church is working on him, still, but he'll be fine. Where did you go?"

Winter looked away.

"Don't feel bad," Amata said through a yawn, "You did all you could out there anyways. It wouldn't be good to keep you there; you were starting to fall apart."

"Why weren't you falling apart?"

"I still had to look after Jacob. Once he was stabilised and fucked up on morphine Church told me to go home at… I don't know… Two? Three in the morning? I locked myself in the staff room and cried my eyes out for… what time is it?"

"Six."

"Three hours."

"We should go home," Winter offered.

Amata shook her head, "I might still be needed."

"Okay," Winter sighed. She walked over to her and sat on the couch beside her, "You did well yesterday."

"Thank you," she whispered, "Just let me…"

"Hmm?" Winter hummed, turning to Amata just in time to see her head flop onto her shoulder.

Winter smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. A volunteer came in and handed Winter a blanket, which she covered Amata with, and Winter moved her, so Amata's head rested against her right thigh. She brushed her fingers across the scar from her own bullet wound, trying to remember the pain of it. It was only a ghost of a pain. Winter leant her head back and rested it against the wall, too alert for sleep.

Church came walking out cleaning his hands with a rag. He grunted with surprise at seeing Winter, "Need something, kid?"

"Just staying close to Amata," Winter said.

"I told her to go home hours ago."

Winter could only shrug.

"Get her home," he ordered.

"We don't have a home," Amata murmured sleepily, "We live in a fart factory of sin."

Winter laughed, despite the pain from losing Nova, Amata could always make her laugh.

"Yeah well it's the best thing you've got, and you're taking up space," Church said, "Go home. We'll talk about your… we'll talk tomorrow."

"M'kay…"

"What's he talking about?" Winter asked.

"Nothing," she sat up, "Your lap is comfy."

"Thank you."

"Why aren't you swapping cooties with Nova?"

"She charged me."

"What?" she gasped, "That bitch!"

"I know, right!"

"So… what? You said no, right?"

"I did, but she told me I owed her money after we were done."

"What the fuck? Why?" Amata frowned as they left the clinic.

"Moriarty was twisting the screws on her, apparently."

"So what're you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well did you pay her?"

"Did you notice I'm not wearing shoes?"

"What the fuck?! She took your boots!"

"Yeah, she wouldn't let me leave without something."

"God damn, I didn't realise all your money was gone."

"I just didn't have cash on me."

"What? I know for a fact that you have a hundred."

"I have ninety, and the money's going toward a revolver. Besides, I don't carry one hundred caps on me."

"So what? You're going to be a gunslinger in socks with holes in them?"

"It's romantic," Winter joked.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… I was putting too much stock in Nova."

"She was your rebound," Amata shrugged, "You weren't in love, were you?"

"With Nova? No," she frowned when they passed the common room, "Where are we going?"

"The market," Amata explained, "I'm buying you some boots."

"Aww, 'Mata you don't have to do that," she hesitated.

"No, because you're right. You need a good handgun. God knows I need a protector."

"Ah don't bring that shit up again."

"I'm only teasing you," she giggled and stopped at the apparel vendor, "Alright. You like those?"

Winter glanced up at the pair of plain brown laced boots, "Yeah. But it's only twenty caps; I'll pay you back when we get home."

"No, you've had a bad day enough as it is," Amata nodded at the vendor. Winter took the boots and tried them on while Amata paid.

"They fit?" Amata asked as Winter took a few testing steps.

"Yeah," she nodded, "Thank you.".

Amata peered at her for a moment before walking forward and hugging her tightly. She broke away and pecked her on the cheek, then spun around and started walking for the gunsmith, "Come on. Let's see about getting you a revolver."

After an hour Winter was admiring her new revolver as they walked. It was simple, made by some guys called Smith and Wesson in 1899, if the gunsmith was telling the truth. She got an odd look for asking if the gun was four hundred years old, and was very crassly told that the gun was actually around five years old, but the model had been made for four hundred years. Winter didn't give a fuck. So long as it fired and didn't blow apart in her hands, she was fine with it.

"I have whiskey in my bed," Winter remembered.

"Fuck yes!" Amata grinned, "I'm almost done with the stuff you bought me."

"That's… disturbingly quick."

"Ah, you fuck," Amata laughed, "Don't suddenly forget about all the times you got me drunk."

"I didn't have to do any kind of convincing," Winter protested with glee, "You're just as much of a drunk as I was."

"Was? What's this 'was' shit?" Amata walked into the Common Room, to Winter's bunk, and rummaged for the whiskey. She found it, took a few swigs, then handed the bottle to her.

"Alright. So, what's the plan?" Amata asked.

"Plans the same, we go to Galaxy News to find my Dad."

"Okay so, I'm still convinced that Moriarty was bullshitting with you about not being born in the Vault."

"Why would he lie?"

"To fuck with you," she answered simply.

"Maybe," she shrugged, "But what if it's true?"

Amata bent down to untie her laces, "I don't want to get shot in the head trying to find something that might be true."

Winter exhaled and leant back on the heels of her new boots.

"But you want to go," Amata said, mostly to herself, "So I'm going to."

"Hey, I'm not forcing you to go. I'm not even asking you."

"No, I'm going," she said, "I'm a better rider than you, and I'm better with directions. You're good with a gun. With our knowledge combined, we can equal out to one semi-competent adult."

"Well, what were you talking about with Church, huh?" she walked up to her bunk, "Get off my bed."

"No."

"Amata, off."

"Just sit there," she gestured to the empty spot of the bed.

"Off my bed, you have bits of Jacob on you."

"No, I don't," she answered, holding up her pristine hands and twisting around so Winter could see she didn't carry blood on her clothing.

Winter sat down begrudgingly and looked at her revolver again.

"Anyway," Amata settled to sitting cross-legged on Winter's bunk, "When we get back from Galaxy News, I'm going to join the clinic to train as a doctor."

"Really?!" Winter grinned, "That's great!"

"Yeah?" she looked up at her hopefully, "Maybe… maybe when we get back, and I start earning good money, we can buy a house?"

"We?" Winter smiled, "You wouldn't mind living with me?"

"Hell, this place still freaks me out," Amata admitted, "I still flinch when I look up at the sky. It'd be better if we had a place of our own, so we don't have to line up to use the bathroom."

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm gonna talk to Lucas about joining the Sherriff's department."

"We're going to make a life out here," Amata said, mostly to herself, "What're you going to do? Right now?"

"I'm going to get drunk, and I'm gonna try and sleep the Nova pain off."

Amata only gave her a wary look, "Okay… please be careful. I'm gonna go and get some sleep."

She hopped up to her bunk. It didn't take long before Winter could hear her snoring quietly, hell, she certainly had earned the rest.

Winter fished into her pocket to check for anything and was surprised to grip the Jet inhaler. She must have pocketed it while they were arguing. She took the inhaler out and fiddled with it for a moment. Nova said not to use it so much, but what the fuck did she know? Jet didn't feel amazing, it just made her feel nice, and that was all she needed. She brought the mouthpiece to her lips and slowly inhaled.

/

The days that followed were chaotic. Megaton was on lockdown after the raiders took the school, with everybody anticipating another raid the place was tense, to say the least. Lucas, however, was convinced that it was just a lone incident. Lucas took Amata and Winter out a few times to scout the area leading up to Galaxy News. It was easy enough to follow. The roads were busy with travellers and merchants, almost all of them either on horseback or on a wagon pulled by a Brahmin or a horse. Brahmins still freaked Winter out. She'd never seen a one-headed cow in person, but she saw them in books and movies for the first nineteen years of her life, and this was hideous. This thing had a rich orange pelt destroyed with scars, cuts, lesions and other malformations, with two sullen, droopy heads dangling from one body, trudging slowly forward. For Winter, so far this outside world was perfectly personified by a Brahmin.

Amata thought that Winter needed to lighten the fuck up. She hadn't seen Nova in days and still had a pissed off look about it. Amata had simply written it off as Winter's pride being wounded and granted; her mood had improved over the last few days… a little. For today's run, two days before they actually left for Megaton, Winter was better and more attentive. She rode at Lucas' side, writing notes, checking her direction, making sure she could read the compass Lucas gave her properly. She made notes on the map about water sources, emergency shelters, backup routes, and absolute "no-go" zones, where Lucas warned that wild animals would hunt and rip them to shreds. The route would take them north, up a long highway to a settlement named Arefu, a town built on a highway overpass. They would spend the night there, leave the horses in a stable, then cross the river to the mouth of Downtown. They wouldn't need a horse when they were in Downtown, the horses would have trouble climbing over rubble, and they wouldn't be able to navigate through the metro.

Amata thought she would be able to handle a metro just fine, same as Winter. They grew up in a tight, confined space, and Winter spent the last three years crawling around in between floors, having to keep track of where she was going. A large tunnel that had clear markings on where to go would be a cake walk.

But it was by no means a safe journey. Two days before they left, they arrived at the sheriff's office to a surprise. Lucas was in the corner of the room, working a radio and getting a report on the current state of the metro.

"You guys have radios?" Winter asked, sitting down at his desk and opening the map she had stowed away in her backpack.

"We do, the Brotherhood of Steel has a much better radio system, they just aren't keen on sharing it," he muttered, with some resentment.

"Not a fan?" Amata asked.

"In some ways, but they mean well," he sighed, "Alright… If you both insist on going to Galaxy News, you're going to follow my instructions to the fucking letter."

"I still don't understand why we can't just walk through," Winter muttered. She sat at the opposite end of the chair, arms folded around the top of the frame and resting her chin against them. After a night's sleep, the Jet she had taken the night before had left her head fuzzy, and it was difficult for her to concentrate. She wasn't hungover; she just felt numb.

"Because, if we walk through Downtown, we'll have price tags around our necks within an hour," Amata answered impatiently.

"Listen to Amata," Lucas said, "You're going to…"

Winter's eyes drifted from Lucas to the blinking radio. Maybe she could contact the Vault using it? Susie had drifted from her mind lately. Preparing for the trip alongside spending her nights high had made it difficult to find time to remember her.

"You've got it?"

"Yep," Winter muttered. It didn't matter what Lucas said now; he'd hammered the same information over and over again for days straight. She knew it, Lucas was just wasting his breath by repeating himself.

"When we get back, we're going to have a talk about your Jet use," Amata said as they ate dinner at their bunk, "You've been getting high for three days straight."

"I'm not high right now, and I'm not getting high during the trip," she said, "I'm not going to be a liability, not while we're travelling."

"Uh huh. What did Lucas say at the meeting today?"

Winter's uncomfortable silence was her answer.

"Please, please take this seriously," Amata complained, "We've killed a handful of people, but we aren't badasses."

"I am taking it seriously; I was just…"

"Hungover from the Jet, god damn it," she stabbed her steak knife into her meat before casting the plate aside. She turned to Winter and grabbed her firmly, but not painfully, by the forearms, "Please, Winter. Please. I have so much to worry about already. If I find you dead on this bed from an overdose, I might actually lose my fucking mind. Please, try and stay off it. You're better than this. You got dumped by Nova, you aren't going to see Susie again, and you have no idea where you've come from, but don't lull yourself into a false sense of peace by inhaling that shit every single night. Let's go find your Dad, and when we get home, we're going to make something out of us."

For a moment, Winter was stunned and could only look into Amata's dampening brown eyes. She was angry, sad, nervous and scared all at once… and Winter was just making it worse. The dangers of the trip that lay ahead of them weren't scaring Winter, but she didn't think about how Amata was thinking about it. Amata was scared, Winter could see it now, and all Winter was doing was making it worse.

You fucking prick, be better, she muttered to herself as she took Amata's hand from one of her forearms, and held it in hers. She straightened herself so her back was straight and she cleared her throat to sound as confident as possible.

"Alright. Let's do it."


	8. Galaxy News Radio

Amata woke up exhausted but curled up in the bed beside Winter. Red-faced, she pulled away and sat up.

When they went to bed the night before they were set to leave, Amata hadn't been able to sleep. By 2 am, she had worked herself up into almost trembling with fear. She dropped down from her bunk and found Winter dead to the world, snoring gently.

"Winter," she whispered, nudging her shoulder.

She snorted awake and threw her arm over her eyes, "Hmm? What? What's wrong?"

"I'm freaking out," she explained, nudging her to the side and climbing into the bed with her. Winter wordlessly made room, and Amata was sure she was still half asleep and moved the blanket to cover both of them.

Amata was seven when her mother died from pneumonia; she was old enough to understand what happened, but not old enough to know how to deal with it. Her Dad had been useless; he preferred to deal with the grief by working himself almost into another early grave. This left Amata alone most of the time. Family friends liked Amata's mother much more than they did her father, and while they were there to provide help at the start, the vigorous working schedule that her dad had put on everybody made their sympathy quickly run dry. So, when her Dad would be working late, which was almost every night in the months after her mother's passing, she would spend the night in Winter's room.

Winter was only four months older and had just turned eight years old. She didn't know how to deal with the problem either, so her solution to Amata's sadness was to make her laugh. They made blanket forts and watched movies; Winter would run around and mess with Butch. They would tell stories and fall asleep listening to songs on the radio. While a shitty knock-knock joke wasn't enough to heal the pain of her Mom dying, Winter's company made it all the more better.

Over the years, they changed from building blanket forts to doing homework, to getting drunk and laughing about how shitty their lives had turned out. Escaping into an outside world hadn't changed anything, Winter was still the only thing guaranteed to put her at ease.

"Listen to me," Winter said, trying to be serious despite her yawning, "If you don't want to go, please tell me. I won't be mad; we just won't go. We'll figure something else out."

But Winter needed to go. At night, when Amata pretended to be asleep, she could hear a Jet inhaler being rattled and used. Winter needed a purpose, she needed something to strive for. For Winter, Megaton was a whole lot of nothing, a whole lot of running around in circles. When Amata left the Vault, she had been optimistic that their life would not fall into the same routine that they had spent the last nineteen years under. She wanted them to live a better life, and not be like the adults she had watched working themselves into a mundane existence. Sometimes, she would just have to be brave. For Winter, if not for herself.

So, at dawn, they were both mounted onto their horses at the mouth of Megaton's gates, with a couple of days supplies, one revolver, and one borrowed rifle. Lucas was fussing over Winter's horse's horseshoe, but Winter didn't care. She was looking northward, map at her lap, calm as could be. The rifle was strapped to a leather cord she kept around her back, she looked so… strong.

Strong, however, wasn't what most people would think of her. Winter was still skinny, she wasn't eating enough as it was, and even though she was one of the better fighters in the Vault, she was untested in a hand-to-hand fight to the death. What would people think when they rode past? Would they look like an easy target? Hell… probably.

"Alright," Lucas sighed. He began to speak before someone called Winter's name. Amata and Winter both turned to see Nova standing at the gates. An uneasy feeling of jealousy snaked along Amata's guts as Winter glared at her.

"Just…" Lucas tried to stop Winter, but there was no energy in his voice when Winter turned her horse to ride to her. He shook his head in frustration and looked up at Amata, "Listen to me. The second it overwhelms you, you have to run, okay?"

Lucas kept talking, but Amata could only watch as Winter trotted and stopped in front of Nova. Nova was nervous, writhing her hands as she looked up at Winter's pissed off face. She couldn't hear what Nova was saying to her, but whatever it was, it softened Winter's expression a little.

Don't kiss her, don't kiss her, don't kiss her, Amata silently begged when Winter dismounted her horse. They embraced, but it didn't have anything romantic behind it. Nova kissed her cheek, but there wasn't any lust in her eyes when they looked at one another a final time. She dug into her pocket and held out a small pouch, but Winter held up her hand to refuse it. After a few more words, Nova smiled, pivoted on one heel, and walked slowly back into the city.

"What was that about?" Amata asked.

"Nothing," Winter looked over her shoulder with some impatience to her tone. Whether her annoyance was meant for Nova or Amata, Amata didn't know.

"Anyway," Lucas said, his impatience definitely meant for the both of them, "Just go by what I taught you. No matter what, do not get separated. If everything goes well, I'll see you in a few days. If you move on to something else, please write to me, I don't want to lose sleep worrying about what happened to you if you two don't come back."

"We will," Amata promised.

"Alright," he took a few unsteady steps backward, "Off you go."

"Thank you, Lucas," Winter was closer to him, reaching forward and shaking his hand, "You're a good man."

"Thank you."

/

"How're you feeling?" Winter asked, for about the fifth time in the two hours they'd been riding.

"Fine, I'm fine," she answered, "What did Nova tell you?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, so you were just mouthing shit at each other?"

Winter's jaw clenched, but her answer was a lot calmer, "She apologised for how things ended."

"That's nice," she muttered, "She tried to pay you back for the boots?"

"Yeah."

"And you didn't take it?"

"That's right."

"You're not going to go back to her, right?"

"Nah."

Amata leant back in her saddle, "Alright…"

"I'm not gonna mess around with her, Amata, not anymore," she said.

Amata didn't want to prod any further into it, they, we'll had more pressing things to worry about.

The closer they got to Arefu, the busier the roads got. What became a trickle of people quickly became a heavy crowd. As they rode over a small hill, Arefu quickly made itself known. It was stupidly steep, the road slanting upward leading to a long line of buildings that seemed to compete for attention using obnoxious lighting and weird structural shapes. As the sun set, they both dismounted and led their horses to the stables, just a few yards away from a gate leading up to Arefu. The man running the stables had apparently been in contact with Lucas and was happy enough to stable their horses, warning them that the horses would be "set loose" in a week if they didn't come back.

"I cannot wait to get up there," Winter grinned up at the small city, "It'll be the highest I've ever been."

No, it wouldn't be, Amata thought to herself as she accepted the reservation permits from the guy who owned the stables. A market was choking with people haggling and buying supplies, but Winter ignored all of them as she began to climb up.

"Winter!" Amata shouted after her. They'd been in Arefu for only a few minutes, and already they were almost separated. Winter turned around all smiles and gripped her by the wrist as they moved up.

They reached the top of the overpass and Winter cautiously approached it. The sun was setting, which made the river beneath it shimmer orange.

"Don't jump in," Amata said when Winter whipped her head back with excited eyes and an open mouth, about to say something.

Winter laughed, "Yes ma'am. I was gonna say that I can see our metro entrance from here."

"Oh," she leant forward, bracing her hands against the edge of the bridge. She must have bent too far out for Winter's liking because she yanked her arm out to grab her.

"I'm not gonna fall!" Amata laughed, "But I can see it. We'll catch a boat tomorrow morning. I think I can see some people walking out of the metro gates, it might even be populated tomorrow."

"Lucas said people should be wandering around in it," Winter nodded, "But yeah, we should wait until tomorrow before we move, I don't wanna go wandering around in the dark."

"Yeah. I'm feeling good about this," Amata smiled, "Alright. I'm gonna buy us some food, I'm dying for a proper steak, instead of that bland crap we brought from home. You go book a room; we'll be set."

/

They could only afford one room, so Winter slept on the couch to 'keep watch' while Amata slept on the bed. When she woke up, she flinched when she noticed Winter had fallen asleep with the rifle sprawled across her chest, facing the door.

"Winter," Amata called. She wasn't too thrilled at the idea of shaking her awake while she was holding a firearm. Luckily, she didn't wake up violently. She stretched her body out and yawned, then tilted her head back against the armrest so she could grin up at her, "Hey, 'Mata."

"How'd you sleep?"

Winter could only shrug.

"Why did you fall asleep with a rifle?"

"Some guys were acting rowdy outside," she explained, "If they came through the doors, I wanted to be prepared."

"You would've shot them?" Amata chuckled in disbelief.

"Nah, not unless they were gonna fuck with us," she sat up and rubbed her face, "Alright. We've gotta go. I think we should forget about buying breakfast and just use our supplies; we should get to Galaxy News by nightfall."

"Sure."

/

Whatever confidence they had last night was thinning quick. Winter was stiff as a board in the shoulders as they walked for the river and paid for passage on a large wooden barge across the river. The only people going with them were members of the Arefu Sheriff's Department, and all of them weren't exactly overjoyed when they found out where Winter and Amata were going.

"It's been okay for the past few days," one deputy said, "But the whole area around Galaxy is fucking twitchy. Those Brotherhood idiots need to cut it loose and focus their attention to the Mall."

Whatever the Mall was, neither of them cared. All they knew is that they were heading into an unstable territory to try and find a man who might be dead already. Why would Dad be at Galaxy News? Some shitty little radio station operating in the middle of a goddamn warzone? Winter wondered as they got pushed out into the water. Winter had spent a lot of her childhood in the community pool in the Vault. The kids she played with all loved a game where they would stand on floating boards and see how long they could stand before they fell off, but Amata didn't like going in the pool. Amata could barely even swim. So, while Winter was used to the weird motions of choppy water and could easily adjust her weight and balance to compensate, Amata looked like a drunken mess. The barge ride was only going to take around ten minutes, but the time flew as the deputies, Winter, and even Amata, laughed as she struggled to keep herself steady. When they reached the shore, the deputies left to head towards a small outpost that sat at the edge of the river, overlooking a long alleyway, while they turned for their metro.

"Alright," Winter said, approaching the steps that led down into it, "This is it."

Amata didn't say anything; if they stopped to talk about it, their courage would probably break. The metro was dimly lit, and they had barely gotten to the bottom of the stairs before they both needed their flashlights.

"So much for not wanting to wander around in the dark," Amata sighed.

Winter and Amata had seen pictures of metros before, they were everywhere in old newspapers and magazines about Washington D.C, but this thing was two hundred years old. They walked into the main lobby, and the place was barely held together. The floors were cleanish, but the walls were weak and worn out. A concrete slab jutting out of the ground, used for posting train maps and schedules, now served as a tunnel map. The trains, obviously, weren't in any kind of working condition, so they would just have to walk through the tunnels themselves.

"Oooookay…" Winter shone her flashlight at the map, "Lucas said we needed to get to the blue line and transfer onto the green as soon as we could. So, I think we keep walking until we hit- hey- Megaton Station. Isn't that cool?"

Amata smiled pressed her finger to where they were, Arefu Station, and ran it up and frowned, "No, no we should get off at Miracle Station."

"W- no! Why would we get off there?"

"Because if we get off at Miracle and take the green line, we only have to walk through three stops instead of five!"

"What difference does it make? We should go with what Lucas suggested."

Amata groaned, "Fine!"

"Why're you shitty?" she laughed, taking out her map and, on the blank side, drawing a crude copy of the map, "Lucas spent a shitload of time researching this, why wouldn't we follow it?"

"Alright, I said!" Amata reiterated as Winter walked to the end of the platform and dropped down, landing in ankle deep water.

"Two hundred years, nobody thought to build a walkway," Winter muttered.

"Would it be too much to ask for a piggy back?"

"Come on, princess," Winter smiled, reaching up and offering a hand.

Amata didn't take it; she just jumped in by herself. The water was freezing cold and quickly seeped into her boots, but all Amata could do was hope that they wouldn't have to swim through it.

"No," Winter groaned, walking down a small slope and realising the water was getting deeper, up to their thighs.

"How many pairs of clothing did you bring?" Amata asked as she waded in after her.

"Three…" she laughed, "I should have brought more."

"At least the bags are waterproofed."

"Yeah, it's lined with old plastic. I wouldn't be too confident with it."

"Was it raining last night?" Amata wondered, "This water is crazy high."

"I didn't hear any, but this place is close to a lake," she shrugged as the tunnel evened out, "So long as it stays this high, we'll be alright."

The metro was empty. The only sounds they could hear was the sloshing around of the water as they walked and droplets of water falling from the ceiling. The water was a murky brown, nowhere near clear enough to see through. She wondered what kind of tiny creepy crawlies were swimming past her legs as they moved. Amata didn't seem too thrilled by it either, she had a white-knuckle grip on her revolver and practically hit the ceiling whenever a small sound piped up from the darkness.

They passed one station, then another, then another, and another.

"My legs are done," Amata groaned.

"Same," she sighed. Her legs were burning like she'd just finished running ten miles. It was bad enough that she was walking through thigh-high water, it was another thing to be carrying three days' worth of supplies, and an eleven-pound M14 rifle. "When we hit the next station… we stop for lunch."

"Good idea."

When they did arrive at the next station, they practically had to drag themselves up onto the platform.

"Why is this whole place empty?" Winter groaned, "Lucas made it sound like we'd be shoving people out of the way?"

"I don't know," Amata sat against the wall and rubbed her thighs, "My legs are itching like crazy. I think you had a good idea. We should have just walked through Downtown; I don't care if I get shot."

"Don't be a baby," Winter laughed, "It's just a little water."

"I swear I felt something brush against my leg."

"We're almost done. Only two hours more," she rested her head against the ground, "Just… let me just relax for a minute…"

"Yeah," she breathed, "That's a good idea."

Lunch for both of them was dried up dates, not enough to make them full but enough to get them to Chevy Chase station. Winter led the way again. They walked through a few more stops and finally made their way to the last one. Chevy Chase was a large station, the tunnel spat them out into a two-story terminal, and when Winter hoisted herself up onto the platform floor, she could hear scuttling in the distance.

"Stay down there," Winter whispered to Amata.

"Why?"

"Just stay down!"

Winter went and crouched behind a bench and listened. The scuttling sounded like it was coming from the second story of the platform, but it was hard to tell. Each little sound echoed across the walls. At her feet someone had left a bottle of cola. She picked it up and tossed it as far as she could throw it. It landed with a loud, shrill crash that stirred a gargled hiss. Winter cringed and slumped her shoulders down, cocking and aiming her rifle into the darkness. She needed something else to throw. Keeping low, she eased forward as whatever was hissing kept going. It sounded… human?

"Winter," Amata whispered urgently. She had given up the safety of the platform and was inches behind her.

"Shh!"

"Winter I'm scared, let's fucking-"

A loud, possessive, gargling hiss rang through their ears. At the top of the stairs, illuminated by sunlight seeping through cracks in the roof, stood a man with the same condition as Gob, minus any clothing. He was malnourished beyond what seemed to be a mortal point, skin as diseased and as bronzed as a Brahmin, with wide, sunken in eyes and ruined teeth.

"Back!" Winter barked, pointing her rifle at him, "Get back! Back!"

The man ignored her order and stumbled down the stairs towards them. Winter shoved Amata backward with one hand, putting herself between her and the man as he found the bottom of the stairs. His arm had snapped on the way down and now bent at an unnatural angle as he found his feet. The injury didn't seem to phase him.

"Don't you fucking come any closer!" Winter roared. All the fear she had in the darkness was gone, the only thing on her mind was to protect Amata.

The man, once again, paid her no mind. He began to sprint, flailing his arms, broken or not, towards her. He was foaming at the mouth, eyes wide in lustful hunger.

"I will fucking shoot you!" she roared. He got within twenty feet, and Winter pulled the trigger and shot him in the chest. It was like pressing an off button. The primal rage inside him stopped on a dime, and he simply collapsed. His body made a weird slapping noise as it sprawled out across the tiles, but otherwise he was silent.

"Fuck you!" Winter screamed. She marched up to him and kicked as hard as she could in the ribs. The bones seemed to cave in around the boot more and more with each kick. It was a burning rage, with protect, protect, protect chanting in her head as she kicked him, again, again, and again.

"Stop, Winter," Amata ordered.

She stopped.

"The fuck is he?" Amata wondered.

Winter noticed that he was almost completely bald. Gob had a few patches of hair he typically grew out to comb around his head, so it looked "kind of" normal, this one had only a handful of hairs.

"He looks like an old Gob," Winter said breathlessly, "Okay… let's go up to the surface."

"You good? You kind of lost your mind a little there."

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm good. Are you?"

"Yeah," she gave a final look to the ruined man before walking up the stairs, "Let's get out of here."

They were both relieved to reach the top of the platform and see sunlight seeping out of the gate leading out. The gates were already partially opened, all she had to do was squeeze through.

"Alright," Winter whispered, "Stay low."

"Okay."

Winter crept up the stairs, keeping her back pinned to the wall and looking anxiously back and forth. Once she reached a point in the stairs where she could peer over the side, she waved Amata forward. Chevy Chase station spat them out into a courtyard, surrounding what looked like an office park.

"Lucas said that we should make a run for that alleyway," she pointed at a building almost immediately to the left of the stairs, past a large fountain, and leading into a narrow alleyway. Unfortunately, the short trek there was largely exposed, and the whole courtyard was scarred with bullet holes. Loose stones and tiles lay on the ground, prime for slipping over and falling. However, the thick mortar pillars holding up all the buildings were still standing. And if Winter hid behind one of the pillars supporting the building they were supposed to head toward, she would be protected. It would just be a matter of running from cover to cover until she reached the alleyway.

"Alright, let me be the lab rat."

"No!" Amata hissed. She reached out and grabbed hold of her arm, "What if you get shot, and I can't get to you."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?"

Amata realised that there was nothing they could do, except proceed. It was just her nerves telling her to back off, nothing more. Was it her nerves, or just common sense?

"Alright," Winter took her hands in hers, "If we're going to do this, you have to cover me, okay? I'm gonna give you the rifle; I'm gonna run in with the revolver. If I run into any trouble, you're my first point of call, okay?"

"Why're you giving me the rifle? You're a better shot than me; you be cover."

"I don't want you in any more danger than you need to be," she smiled. She looked so calm.

"Alright," she took the rifle, "Just promise me that you won't be an idiot."

"I will try," she smiled, then suddenly she took off. She bounded up the stairs, making a hard left and running for cover behind a pillar. She waited a few seconds, peaking around the corner of one to look over the office park, nothing had stirred. She moved again to the next pillar, but as she moved, a woman with a rifle and in a soldier's uniform swung out from the alleyway and pointed her rifle at her.

"Jesus Christ!" Winter immediately dipped her knees and took a few steps back, "Hey! Hey, stop!"

"Hands in the air! Hands in the fucking air!" she ordered, "I will fucking shoot you!"

"Alright! Alright! Hey!" she slowly lowered her arm and dropped the gun, then kicked it back. She glanced over her shoulder, pleased that it had skidded to come to a stop at the bannister leading into the metro, well within Amata's reach. Winter still had her knife and was content with dropping it at her feet for the time being. By now another woman, also carrying a rifle, emerged from the alley. They were both dressed in a faded blue-grey uniform, wearing a combat jacket with the sleeves rolled up. Their jackets were dark grey on the breast and the sleeves, but the piping around the stitching was a thin line of blue. Their pants were a sun-faded navy blue, but with grey piping and black boots. On their biceps was an insignia all in white. Three gears, partially hidden by winged sword pointing straight up at the sky. The same insignia was on the back of the backpacks that they wore.

"Are you guys Brotherhood of Steel?" Winter asked.

"Why?" the woman who encountered her first, a blonde woman, frowned.

"Oh- shit okay I'm not a raider," she answered, "I'm just trying to get to Galaxy News Radio."

"What do you need at GNR?"

"Look, I'm not smacked off my face on Jet, I'm not covered in grime… too much… and I haven't tried to kill you. Don't give me the goddamned third degree."

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah."

"Uh huh. Dusk!"

"Right here, Lyons," the other woman answered. Winter had vaguely heard Lyons' name around the bar in Megaton. She couldn't remember why, she had been too drunk to remember anything, but the woman didn't look like someone Winter should fuck with. Her blonde hair was tied neatly back and concealed with a battered combat helmet, her face was tanned by the sun and her look was grim. She was tall, very tall, almost six feet and loomed menacingly over Winter as she knelt. In comparison, Dusk was smaller. She was around Winter's height, probably a little bit taller at 5 feet 8, but her skin was dark brown. Winter couldn't see any hair underneath Dusk's helmet, Winter would have wagered she didn't have any hair at all. She wasn't exactly in a position to ask. Dusk looked at her more with curiosity, rather than Lyons' hardened suspicion.

"Detain the kid, try and figure out what's going on."

"Unbelievable," Winter muttered.

"We're going to take you to GNR, give me attitude, and I'll cut you loose up north," Lyons turned to the side to look around the office park.

"Is that bad?"

"Are you new?" Dusk frowned as she bound her hands together with a zip tie.

"You sure you're alone?" Lyons asked before Winter could reply to Dusk's question.

"Yeah, why?"

The gunshot was Winter's answer, slamming into the pillar just above their heads.

"You asshole piece of shit!" Dusk shouted, ducking behind one of the pillars, Winter having to do the same.

"They're not with me!" Winter yelled back, struggling with the bind around her wrists, "Cut me loose!"

"No way!" Dusk answered before returning fire at the raiders emerging from the yard. Winter looked back at the metro station. She couldn't see Amata.

"Shit!" Winter yelled. She made the blind rush across to the staircase, doubling over and landing awkwardly on the steps and just narrowly avoiding Amata, who screamed in surprise.

"Thanks for the cover, buddy," Winter laughed, "Where's your knife?"

"I didn't have a clear shot," Amata argued back defensively, drawing her knife and cutting the zip tie loose.

"Thank you," she plucked the rifle back up off the floor and ran up the stairs, taking cover behind the fountain, and firing back at the raiders. The M14 rifle she had only fired seven rounds from its magazine, but she managed to hit one in the arm. Mostly, Winter was happy about two things. One, she wasn't shitting herself in fear and freezing up, and two, she wasn't dead or dying. Another pleasant surprise was Amata running into the fray as well, firing Winter's revolver and, while not the shining example of accuracy, she did manage to suppress a few from moving out of cover and firing at either of them.

Winter turned to shout something at Amata and almost laughed at the bug-eyed look on her face, like her head was dealing with too many things at once.

"Shut up!" Amata shouted.

"Hey! I hit a guy!" Winter said defensively, drawing back out of cover and firing, then quickly ducking back underneath the cover and allowing herself a second to think about what she'd just said. A few days ago, she'd been bawling in a bathtub about killing a man; now she was treating it like clay shooting. Winter didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

A bullet flying past her shoulder was more than enough to snap her back to reality. Emerging from cover, her heart nearly jumped out of her mouth when a raider skidded to a halt barely ten feet from her. She pulled the trigger and shot him through the gut, then shot again to finish him off. His face froze in a state of shock, and Winter went back to hiding behind cover.

"You okay?" Amata asked.

"I'm all good," she promised.

Dusk, in the meantime, had advanced to the pillar opposite them and finished off the final raider. After taking a moment to survey the building the raiders had poured out from, Dusk gave a smouldering at Winter, "You ran away from me."

"I helped."

"You said you were alone," Lyons added as she approached.

"I lied," she answered simply, stepping in front of Amata to stand between Lyons and her.

"So now, I have to call into question everything that you told me."

"Alright, well… I'm not a raider, all things considered, I shot enough of those idiots to prove that to you. If I was going down, I didn't want to take Amata with me."

Lyons huffed and looked at Amata, "What? You were the wingman?"

"Trying to be," she murmured. She held out her free hand, "Amata Almodovar."

"And you?" she declined the handshake and looked irritably at Winter.

"Winter Daniels."

Lyons sighed and dragged her palm across her face, "Alright… alright… Just… you can follow us."

"Lyons," Dusk warned, "I don't think this is a good idea."

"They're gonna go to GNR anyways," Lyons shrugged, but quickly jerked her arm forward and grabbed Winter by the front of her shirt, "You shoot at my soldiers, and I'll put you down. That understood?"

"Yes'm," she answered.

"Alright. We're gonna hook up with the rest of our guys. Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she nodded. She looked back at Amata, who looked up from her revolver and frowned at her, "What?"

"How come she didn't ask you to be cool?" Winter complained.

"I don't give off asshole vibes," she shrugged.

"That's cute," Winter laughed, despite herself.

"C'mon, Captain Aggression, let's go."

Lyons led them through to the alleyway they were supposed to go down anyways. It was crowded with around a dozen soldiers, all huddled close and in the middle of lunch. They were all different sizes, some as big as houses, and some little, like Amata. The alleyway was in an L shape, and when Winter poked her head around the corner, it led to another set of office buildings. When Lyons walked around the corner, a tall man quickly rose to his feet.

"Alright, people, get your shit together," he yelled as the other soldiers scrambled to stuff canteens and other food containers into their packs. The man giving orders approached Lyons and squinted at them, "Who's the city trash?"

"Just two kids we picked up," Lyons shrugged, "They should be okay."

"'Should', huh?"

"They won't leave my sight, Washington," Lyons sighed at the man before turning to Winter and Amata, "Up front, let's g-"

Another gunshot drowned Lyons out, smacking into the wall and creating a small cloud of dust.

"Incoming fire!" a soldier shouted, "East building!"

The soldiers doubled back and hid behind the wall leading to the corner, forming a line and drawing their rifles. Washington marched to the front of the line and pulled a mirror out of a pocket in his jacket.

"Alright!" he shouted after a moment, "Kodiak and Reddin, you're gonna cover Peterson while he makes a run for the concrete slabs there. I want you laying suppressing fire on that building. We're all going to move one at a time, okay?"

"Yes sir!" the soldiers shouted back. Kodiak and Reddin moved so they were shoulder to shoulder with Washington. Kodiak wielded a huge gun that looked like a strain to hold even for a guy as big as he was. He wore belts of ammo draped around his neck, and a box of ammo strapped to a leather chord that threaded through the large bag on his back. Reddin was dwarfed by him. Small, skinny, and wielding only a canvas bag and a rifle, she looked no less determined than any other soldier there.

"Go!" Washington roared.

The two swung around the corner and opened fire. Bullets erupted from their guns, showering the building with blooms of dust and shrapnel. After a few moments, they stopped, and Peterson sprinted the twenty feet and dove undercover.

Kodiak was next, then Reddin. Once those two had escaped the chokehold on the alleyway, they were able to maintain constant fire on the structure while Washington sent out another few troops.

"You alright?" Winter yelled over the noise to Amata, who was looking a little panicked.

"This is intense," Amata groaned.

"We're fine," she insisted, "We're all good. We aren't alone."

"Listen to Lyons and me," Dusk said, "We'll get you guys through it."

"Yeah," Lyons agreed, "We've got you."

"Lyons!" Washington yelled from his new position behind cover, "You coming?"

"What's your name again?" Lyons asked Winter.

"Winter Daniels."

"Alright, Daniels. You stay right behind me, okay. Dusk, you handle Amata."

"Got it."

"You ready?"

"I'm good!" she shouted. They rounded the corner, and just as they did, Winter could have sworn that a bullet flew six inches past her neck. She kept running, ashamedly using Lyons as a small cover before making it and diving behind a concrete slab beside Washington.

"Where is everybody else?" Lyons shouted.

"I sent them into the building," he answered, reloading his rifle, "There's got to be at least five of those idiot raiders in there."

"Why didn't we use a goddamn explosives team?"

"We need that building to get into GNR, that's our backdoor! We can't afford to lose it!"

Amata crashed into the slab beside her.

"You OK?" Winter asked.

"I'm fine. Stop asking. Did you get hit?"

"Nah I'm good."

Amata gave her an uneasy grin, "We're fucking morons."

"I know!" she laughed.

"Hey!" Lyons shouted, "This isn't a fucking schoolyard. Daniels, you wanna earn your way to GNR?"

"Didn't realise it had to be earned, but okay."

"You're with me," she answered before taking off. Winter scrambled after her and followed her into the building.

It was absolute mayhem. A dead body was sprawled out in the entryway, spent bullet casings were everywhere, and there was more blood on the walls than when Winter killed that guy in Springvale.

Push it down, she told herself as a queasy feeling came back up. She didn't have time to be queasy, Lyons was running around the building like it was nothing, clearing room by room by room and running up the stairs to the second floor. The soldiers were held up in there, trading fire with a group of raiders that were cornered in what looked like an old meeting room.

"Who did we lose?" Lyons asked one soldier.

"Peterson," he answered, casting his look sadly at the mangled body lying in the hallway, "It was quick."

Lyons only nodded, "Alright. Let's finish off this room; then we head to GNR."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm sorry," Winter said as Lyons crouched next to a wall.

"Thank you, but not now," she said, "Reddin, toss a grenade into the room."

"But Washington said-"

"I'll take the heat, throw a damn grenade in there!"

"Pin's loose!" he shouted, tossing the grenade into the open room. Winter felt Lyons shoving her head down. Winter shuddered when she heard the sound of the grenade going off, then the predicted screaming, wailing, struggling, and gurgling of people dying.

"Finish them off," Lyons ordered, "Make it quick. Sweep the building then move up to the northern entrance; we'll push into GNR through there."

The soldiers invaded the room, and Winter cringed at the sounds of begging and gunshots.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded, swallowing down the churning feeling in her guts.

"You get used to it," she promised, though there wasn't any kind of gentleness to her tone, Lyons didn't seem to have time for it, "Come on."

They ran back downstairs and linked up with Amata and Dusk.

"What's your story?" Dusk laughed, "You look like someone killed your mother."

"My mother's dead, asshole," Winter muttered.

"Oh."

"Peterson is dead, Dusk," Lyons solded, "Get your shit together, I want GNR secured by nightfall."

"What happened?" Amata asked.

"Nothing, let's get this done."

The rest of the Brotherhood soldiers had met up in the building's lobby. Through the open doors, Winter immediately noticed a building with "Galaxy News Radio" written in rusted out letters on the front. Unfortunately, a gang of around a dozen raiders were engaging a small group of soldiers, firing from the lobby and first floors of the GNR building.

"Looks like we broke their reserves," Washington smirked, "Alright. I want gunners on the first floor of this building, everybody else, lay down fire. Kodiak, I want you on the fifth floor, take a few grenadiers with you, light those fuckers up."

"Yessir," he answered.

"Alright, Dog Company!" Washington shouted, "We're hitting them from the sides, keep the pressure on, let's get this shit done!"

The soldiers burst from the building and began to charge into the fray. Amidst the chaos, even though bullets were being fired on them, the soldiers seemed to move as one. They shouted commands and updates, screaming above the noise that they were "moving up" or "reloading", and "I need heavy fire, right hand side!". Each statement was immediately achknowledged, it was insane.

"You ready?" Winter asked.

"Yeah," she nodded nervously. Winter ran out after the soldiers, firing a few shots and narrowly clipping a raider as he ran between cover. She stopped to aim, but something knocked into her.

"Keep moving!" Lyons shouted. She grabbed Winter by the hem of her shirt and shoved her to cover. When Winter ducked to reload, she heard a whistling sound and a large crash just over her head. She looked up to see a new, gaping hole at the top of the building. Kodiak was standing stupidly at the top, blood pouring from an empty cavity where his right arm used to be.

"Kodiak!" Lyons shouted.

"Oh, shit," Winter gasped. Kodiak tumbled from the roof of the building and began to fall. One of his backpack straps snagged itself on a protruding rebar, catching him and stopping his lethal fall. His legs started to kick as he desperately tried to swing himself back and forth, attempting to gain the momentum to reach his comrades, who were leaning out of the window, despite the extreme risk to themselves, to catch and save him. The raiders saw that and opened him up, riddling him with bullets and sending his body into a violent twitch.

"You fucking animals!" Dusk screamed. She slammed the butt of her rifle to the ground and took off running around the corner.

"Dusk, no!" Lyons roared. Winter didn't know what made her chase after Dusk. She didn't know if it was just adrenaline, if she was trying to prevent her from doing something stupid, or if it was just the hard, bitter rage at watching a man die like he did, but she ran with her. Winter leapt over the barrier and chased down a raider. The raider spotted her at the last possible moment, unable to do anything but brace as Winter tackled her to the ground like she weighed nothing.

"Holy shit," Winter stuttered.

"What the fuck?!" the raider screamed in shock. Instinct took over Winter's thought process once again. Her hand flew to her knife and quickly slid the blade through the woman's neck and ripped it back out just as fast. I'm dead, Winter realised, I just charged into the middle of them. I'm dead.

She looked up from the dying raider to see Dusk shoot one man in the chest before kicking a woman, wielding a machete, in the throat.

"Shit!" Winter shouted as someone tackled her to the ground. Her knife-hand was pinned underneath the raider's knee and the look of pure joy on his face scared the absolute shit out of her, "Dusk!"

"I'm coming, kid!" Dusk yelled.

"You fucking idiot," he chuckled.

"Hey!" Dusk shouted. The man looked up, and he only had time to widen his eyes before his face exploded. Winter covered her face with her free arm as he slumped forward.

"I've got you," Dusk grunted, hooking her arms under Winter's armpits and dragging her out, "You're alright."

Once she was free from underneath him, Winter jumped to her feet and was practically dragged by Dusk back behind a barricade.

"Holy shit!" Dusk shouted to nobody in particular, "Holy fucking shit!"

"Keep the pressure on!" Washington shouted, "We're almost done here!"

Winter looked to her ride and was relieved to see Amata safe and tucked securely behind a barricade. Reddin was beside her and muttered something to Amata before standing up. As simply as how the man in the metro collapsed, so did Reddin as a bullet entered perfectly through the middle of her head. She slumped to the ground in a heap.

"No," Dusk whimpered, "No, Red…"

Winter looked back at Dusk and Lyons. Lyons was returning fire at the last remaining enemies, but her eyes were swimming in tears. She was biting her lip so hard that when she released it so scream an order at somebody, small droplets of blood were born from it.

Dusk slammed her boot against the ground a few times, banging her helmet-covered head against the barricade and trying to suppress a breakdown. Amata was… Winter didn't know what Amata was doing. She wasn't engaging with the people trying to kill them, she was instead fussing over Reddin, who was clearly dead. Reddin had a beautiful pair of emerald eyes that were frozen open and staring blankly at Winter while Amata was doing stupid, pointless things. She was checking her pulse, she was trying to stem the bleeding with some bandages that were in Reddin's bag.

"Amata! Leave it!" Winter shouted, "She's gone!"

"Leave it!" Dusk screamed at her. A small black ball flew through the air, bouncing behind Amata and landing in the fountain.

"Grenade!"

Winter lunged forward to run for Amata, but something snagged onto her belt and yanked her back. It detonated, destroying the fountain and temporarily shrouding Amata in a cloud of dust. Winter lay frozen in terror as the cloud settled. Amata lay beside Reddin, completely motionless.

"Medic!" Lyons shouted. Winter looked over her shoulder and saw Lyons had a vice grip on Winter's belt.

"Holy shit," Winter stuttered, "Amata! No no no no nonono."

She spun around and threw a punch. It was wild, and Lyons quickly raised her own arm to deflect it, but it was the arm that she had used to hold Winter down. She scrambled up and sprinted to her, ignoring the short burst of fire that was directed as her as she ran.

Amata was moving when Winter finally reached her. She picked her up and held her tight in her arms.

"Fuck..." Amata hissed

"You're gonna be alright," she promised.

"Medic!" Dusk shouted, "I need a fucking medic!"

Blood was oozing out of her head, and all Winter could do was paw at it to find the source. It was just above the shell of Amata's left ear, around two inches long and one inch wide. It wasn't particularly deep, but it just leaked out so much blood...

"I'm a medic," a soldier told her, shoving Winter aside and laying Amata back on the ground. He lay on his stomach beside her and shone a light into the wound, "It's just a bad graze."

"What happened?" she groaned.

"You got hit with something," he said, dragging his bag closer to her and grabbing a bottle of disinfectant and a rag, "What's your name?"

"Amata." the gunfire had stopped. Winter spared a look around and noticed soldiers emerging from their cover, looking warily around for any more trouble. For the moment, all was quiet.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Did you say you're twenty-three?"

"… Yeah…"

"Shit," Winter sobbed, walking around and rubbing her face. This was her fault. This was all her fault. She just had to find her Dad; she had to drag Amata through all of this bullshit. And Winter thought it was fun.

"Hey," Lyons was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders to steady herself, "You're okay. You're alright."

"She's freaking out."

"She's concussed," Lyons assured her, "I've had them before. You don't know the ground from the sky, but you get better."

"She's bleeding out."

"She has a head injury," she explained patiently, sitting Winter down on the curb, "They bleed like you won't believe, but she'll be fine. You both did extremely well, and I want to thank you for running after Dusk… it was stupid but… someone needed her flank, so I didn't lose another friend today…"

"I… it's alright. My pleasure. I'm sorry I tried to hit you," she dug her fingers into her own hair and looked back at Amata, "Shit. I need to be with her."

"Easy, easy," Lyons grabbed her by the forearm. The pain in her voice was partially gone, and she was back to speaking sternly, "I want you to take a few breaths first, okay? No point getting yourself worked up. She's going to be fine."

"I can't lose her, Lyons," the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was a shitty thing to say to someone who had just watched two friends get shot to death. But if Lyons was pissed, she wasn't showing it.

"You aren't going to," Lyons insisted.

"This is all my fault. She's here because of me."

"She looked pretty willing to be here," she pointed out, "And look, she's talking properly, she's conscious, and she's starting to smile. I know what you're going through, but pretty soon you come to understand that people make up their own minds about where and who they want to be. Come and see me when Amata is in the infirmary. I think we should talk about some stuff."

"Yeah," she took a step back and shook her hand, "Thank you, Lyons."

"You're welcome. Let me know if you need anything."

"Yeah," she pivoted on her heel and ran to Amata.

"There you are," she smiled, "I thought you ran away."

"No, never. Why're you so happy?"

"That would be the morphine I gave her," the medic chuckled.

"Hey!" she shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Winter, "Just because I'm on morphine, doesn't mean it's okay for you to use Jet! You still aren't allowed!"

Winter gave an awkward look to the medic, who was struggling to keep a straight face.

"Alright," he cleared his throat, "Let's get you on a stretcher."

They found a stretcher for Amata and Winter helped to load her on and carry her into the building. She looked for her Dad inside the GNR lobby, but all she saw were other soldiers. The infirmary was on the first floor of the building, separated room by room by walls that Winter guessed used to be offices. They found an empty one for Amata and slowly laid her onto a bed.

"Alright," the medic sighed, "I'm gonna need to put a few stitches in that wound. You two can stay here for the night. I don't want you walking around bumping into shit, so stay in this room and try and get some sleep, okay?"

Amata only raised her hand in a thumbs up, mumbling a thank you to him.

"You're welcome," he turned and accepted Winter's handshake.

"Thank you," she said, "For everything. Hell, I didn't get your name."

"Field Medic Master Joseph Howard. If that's too much of a mouthful, Joey works just fine."

"Alright, well… thank you, Joey."

"Welcome. I'm going to get some fresh tools for the stitches, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"I am so fucking sorry," Winter rushed to her side when Joey left. She kept pressure on the bandage Joey had put against Amata's wound. Her stomach kept lurching whenever she looked at it, "This was a dumbass idea."

"I'm fine," she insisted, "Honestly, I will be fine."

"Yeah but if that thing was a few inches to the right..."

"Hey, you didn't force me to do this," Amata groaned, "You're giving me a headache."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't-," she started to protest before wincing, "Don't be all timid, that isn't you."

"Just… Jesus Christ, I can't lose you."

"I can't lose you," she echoed, "But… today was… good."

"Good?" she chuckled.

"Yeah. We didn't die."

"Nope."

"Did you see your Dad?"

"I didn't get the chance to look."

"Oh! Go!" she said urgently, "He could be here."

"What? I'm not gonna leave you here."

"Winter, the medic is coming straight back, I'll be fine. You've gotta stop treating me like I'm made of glass. If this is going to work, this needs to be you and me fighting together, not you holding me back at arm's length and fighting people off with the other. You keep looking back at me; you're not gonna see what's coming at us."

"You're right; you're totally right. You can take care of yourself, but hell… that fear of losing you-"

"Stop," she groaned, "You'll make me cry, this morphine is making me emotional."

"Okay, okay. I'm gonna go and try to find Dad. I'll be back, and we can have dinner."

"Yeah. C'mere," she beckoned her closer with a finger. Winter leant her head down, close enough for Amata to nudge Winter's chin to the side and press a kiss at her cheek.

"I love you," Amata said when Winter looked back at her, "You're my best buddy, and you're turning into a badass. You looked awesome out there today."

Winter laughed and squeezed her hand, "I love you too, 'Mata. Try and behave while I'm gone."

"Never," she giggled.


	9. Mall Shopping

Galaxy News was in a sombre mood as Winter walked into the lobby. Two bodies, shrouded by blankets, lay on the floor and surrounded by their comrades. Winter remembered seeing three dead; maybe they hadn't recovered Kodiak yet?

Walking outside confirmed her suspicions. While a three-man crew of soldiers went around picking up dead raider bodies and angrily throwing them into a pile, Dusk and Lyons were standing above the building where their friend was hanging.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Winter said as she approached.

Lyons looked over her shoulder, "How's your friend?"

"She'll be okay. Can I help?"

Lyons sighed and gestured up, "Washington deployed most of our guys to guard the building. I hate seeing him hang like that."

There wasn't a single break in her voice. Lyons sounded more disappointed than sad.

"Did you serve with him?" Winter asked as she removed her rifle and backpack.

"I've known him for years," Lyons frowned, "What're you doing?"

"I'm going to climb up the building and cut him down. I'm good; I used to do this sort of thing where I came from."

"Cut down bodies?" Dusk asked.

"Bodies, loose and damaged lighting panels, same thing," she shrugged.

"Alright just… let me come with you," Lyons began to follow her up to the floor below Kodiak was hanging, "So what's your story?"

"I'm new to Washington DC. Amata and I are looking for somebody; someone tipped me off that he might be here."

"Uh huh, what're you, contract killers?"

"No, I'm looking for my Dad."

"Oh," she realised, "He's missing?"

"Kinda. He just left one day and kind of… left me in an awkward position. I had to leave to."

"So you aren't a contracted killer?"

"No, I'm not contracted to be anything."

"Well, you can handle a rifle okay. Have you thought about joining up?"

"What? With the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"BoS is less of a mouthful. Yeah, you didn't crap your pants and run off when things got heavy, hell you practically saved Dusk's life."

"Ah hell, I don't know. What do you guys do?"

Lyons frowned, "Where did you come from?"

Winter's hesitation only made Lyons more suspicious.

"Where did you come from, that you don't know who the Brotherhood of Steel are?" she asked again.

"I… huh…"

"Where did you come from, Daniels?"

"Vault 101," she murmured, glancing away just to get out of her intense stare.

"Vault 101?" she laughed, "That little hermit bunker?"

"Yeah."

"Pft, about time they spat another one out."

"What? Another one? What?" Winter frowned.

"What?"

"The Vault hasn't been opened since the Great War."

"No, it opened once, around twenty or so years ago. How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"There we go," she smiled, "Probably why you don't remember."

"No, it was a whole big thing. Anybody that tried to escape would probably get shot."

"I don't know what to tell you, kid. It was a huge story; I was ten years old, I remember it clear as day."

They arrived at the floor below Kodiak.

"Just… let me know if you're going to slip and I'll catch you."

"Will you be able to catch me?"

"What are you? One-fifteen?"

"I have no idea."

"You're too skinny," Lyons pointed out.

"I don't like the food out here," Winter shrugged. She put her feet against the ruined window sill and reached up. She was around ten feet from Kodiak. If she could just grab hold of the rebar that was holding him up, she would be okay.

The brick and mortar beneath Kodiak's body were slick with blood, making climbing difficult, if not impossible, when she found a place to hook her digits.

"I just had a thought," Winter grunted as she climbed.

"Yeah?" Lyons leant out of the window to look up at her.

"How are you going to catch Kodiak?"

"Dusk, get the mattress ready," Lyons called.

Winter could hear Dusk running into the building. She reached up and gripped the rebar.

"Don't put your weight on it just yet. Wait until Dusk comes back. If that stick snaps and I can't catch you, I don't want to have to explain to your buddy that you're crippled."

Dusk dragged the mattress out and positioned it.

"Little more to the left, Dusky," Winter gestured, "… Toward me a little… a little more… alright, that's good. Lyons, I'm gonna try now, yeah?"

"Alright."

She slowly raised herself so she was eye height with Kodiak. His eyes were still partially open, peering down at her as she drew her knife.

"I'm sorry, buddy," she sighed. Just as she began to cut the strap, the rebar bent slightly.

"Shit!" Winter hissed. She just kept cutting away at the strap and watched as the material frayed and began to split.

"Don't let go, kid."

She kept cutting and gave it once more forceful yank with the blade before the strap snapped off and Kodiak's body began it's descent to the ground. His body fell like a mannequin; not a single limb moved, he almost seemed to float down. He landed on the mattress with an almost uncivilised thunk. All three of them, Dusk, Winter, and Lyons, took a moment to process it before Dusk moved him so he lay on his back. Another nearby soldier jogged over and helped to pick him up. Dusk took the upper half of him to hold up. She hesitated for a moment, then solemnly hooked one arm underneath the armpit that remained of him, while having to wrap her other arm across his back and clutch at the front of his jacket, his head pressed against her chest as they carried him to GNR.

"Daniels," Lyons called, "Drop down onto the mattress, try to roll."

"I used to do this all the time," she said, mostly trying to assure herself. She jumped and aimed for the base of the mattress and rolled.

"Huh. What did you take gymnastics as a kid?"

"A little, I was trying to impress a girl," Winter admitted, "I never got into a goddamn unitard, I just messed around on the trampolines and stuff."

"Jesus, how big was that Vault?"

"Big," she shrugged, "I don't know. It's all relative."

Lyons made her way down and shook her hand, "Thank you."

She rummaged through her bag and brought out a small pouch of caps.

"No, I don't need that," she shook it off.

"Alright. Where are you held up?"

"Don't know, we don't really have a place to call home yet," Winter said.

"Alright well… look… far be it for me to tell you how to live your life, but if you're ever strapped for cash, or you want to utilize your talents for something better, join up with us. If you're around the Springvale area, I'll be touring there relatively soon. If you decide it's for you, pull me aside. We'll talk, yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "Thanks, Lyons."

"No problem. If I don't see you, you stay safe, okay? Look after that walking concussion you have waiting for you upstairs, and good luck finding your Dad."

"Ah, shit. I forgot to look for him."

"Well if anybody has seen him it's that annoying moron who runs the place. You know Three Dog?"

"I've heard him; I haven't seen him."

"Alright. Take the stairs up, go the left, it's the Winter took a few jogging steps back towards GNR, "Thanks Lyons, I'll think about it!"

She ran into the GNR building and started making her way up to the top floor. It was mostly another set of offices but with one big room at the end of a winding hall with a bright red light and a woman waiting in front of it.

"Whoa whoa whoa," a woman in a blouse and skirt grabbed her by the shoulder as Winter approached the door, "What're you doing here?"

"I want to speak to Three Dog."

The woman gestured up to the red light flashing above the door, "He's on the air right now. You'll have to wait until the end of the broadcast."

"When is that?"

She looked to her watch, "Official broadcast ends in an hour. If you absolutely can't wait until then, you'll have a few minutes between songs. Maybe I can help?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for my Dad, a guy I know says he came through here a while ago?"

"Oh, James. You have his pretty blue eyes," she mused, "Yes, he was here. He spoke to Three Dog, and he left a few days ago."

"Where did he go?"

"You'll have to ask him."

"Goddamn it."

"Just wait an hour, you'll be fine."

Winter looked into the tiny rectangular window in the door and saw Three Dog in the middle of a crazed rant. His hands were dancing around above his head, his shoulders pumping up and down and his eyes darting around the room. Winter couldn't hear what he was saying, but whatever it was, he was literally foaming at the mouth to talk about it.

"He gets like that sometimes, he'll calm down in a minute," the woman smiled.

His wild eyes locked onto Winters, and for a moment his whole persona snapped to a halt, then just as quickly started back up again. His rant continued for a few more minutes before his fingers lunged for a record. In one swift motion, he stood up and removed his headphones, wiped his mouth, and walked out into the hallway.

"Winter Daniels, I presume?" he spoke like an old jazz musician, very slow and honey smooth.

"Yeah," she nodded and shook his hand, "How did you know."

"You've got your Daddy's eyes," he smirked, "That and he was worrying at me that you would be here."

"Is he here?"

"Nah, not anymore."

"He knows I'm out?"

"No, he worried that you would be though."

"Alright, can you tell me where he is?"

Three Dog tilted his head back, and a small smile crept across his lips as he rubbed his hands together, "You were downstairs, holding back those annoying assholes trying to take over my station, right?"

"Yeah."

"So you can handle yourself?"

"I do okay."

"How about you scratch my back, and I scratch yours?"

"Scratch mine first," she said with a slight edge to her tone. She didn't like the smug look in his beady little eyes.

Three Dog, however, wasn't concerned. His fingers scratched at his wispy black stubble while he glanced around the room at nothing in particular, "The communication dish I use to broadcast into Greater Washington DC is busted, I need a replacement. You install it on top of its position in the Washington Monument, I can help you."

Winter could install a communications dish in her sleep; all things considered, it wasn't too difficult.

"Okay, where's the dish?"

Three Dog chuckled, "Yeah… 'bout that."

"What?"

"Well, thing about that is, dishes don't exactly grow on trees."

"No shit."

"I don't have one spare, but I know where you can find one."

"Ah hell man, I'm not going on an errand for you."

"Then why should I help you?"

"Because I risked my life getting here."

"Did I invite you here? Or did you waltz in and interrupt me in the middle of my broadcast? I'm spreading an important message, what makes you more important than my tens of thousands of listeners?"

Winter glanced away and clenched her jaw.

"Good. Alright… you know where the Mall is?"

"No," she muttered.

"Don't get all cranky at me kid; I'm doing you a favour. You've seen the Washington Monument?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. I'll draw you up a map. You bring me the dish; I can let you know where your Daddy went."

"Don't- please don't call him that," she sighed, "Just draw the map."

He went about happily scribbling down directions onto a sheet of paper and handed it to her. Winter snatched the paper from him and walked down the hall.

"Good luck!" he shouted after her before disappearing back into his recording booth.

"Yeah, go rant some more you lunatic fuck," Winter muttered to herself.

"Whoa," Dusk looked up from fussing over Kodiak and turned to her, "What's with you?"

"That goddamn cunt upstairs, Three Dog."

"Ha! Yeah, he's a prick. What did he do?"

"I'm trying to find my Dad, right? Three Dog knows where he went. I asked the asshole; he wants me to get a new dish for him so he can-"

"New dish? What? On top of the Washington Monument?"

"Yeah."

"Goddamn he has a location on a dish and doesn't tell us!" she whispered, "Here, come here."

Dusk dragged Winter into an empty infirmary room.

"Where is it?" Dusk asked eagerly.

"It's in some place called… god damn it I can't read this asshole's writing… the Museum of Technology."

Dusk smiled and rubbed her chin, "Okay. When're you going?"

"Hell, I have to go tonight, I'm not coming back here, and Amata certainly isn't going to go. I might as well go now, while she's asleep."

"Let me go with you. Don't breathe a word about it to Lyons. We've been turning Downtown upside down looking for a working relay dish. The one on top of the monument got busted a while ago. Took down this shit show and put a serious dent in our communications range."

"What? You can't just make a new one?"

"We can't just- do you know how to build a goddamn working dish?"

"Not really… I can bluff my way through half of it."

Dusk chuckled, "Alright. Well… if I find one, I get bonus points with the BoS; I might get some leave out of it. Let me get my shit together, I'll tell Ly I got patrol duty, and we'll slip out. We'll be back before we know it."

"You know the way to the Museum of Technology?"

"Yeah, I've walked past it before."

"You're looking for a communication relay dish, and you don't think the Museum of Technology is a good place to start looking?"

"Nobody is allowed to retrieve technology except for scribes; they know how to handle it. Thing is, a scribe isn't going to go anywhere near the museum because they'll piss their pants at the first sign of a goddamn raider."

"Alright. I'll meet you down here in like, half an hour. I'm gonna go make sure Amata's alright."

"You got it."

"Thanks, Dusky."

"Don't thank me, otherwise, you'll have to pay me," she chuckled, "I'll meet you downstairs. Don't tell Lyons, don't be a snitch."

"Don't try and pull that shit on me," Winter laughed.

/

Joey was leaving when Winter opened the door to Amata's room. She was sitting up in bed and reading from a book she had kept in her pack. Her head had been bandaged, with just a few small spots of red staining the fabric, nowhere near the oozing flood it was before. She looked up and was all smiles.

"How is she?" Winter asked Joey.

"She'll be fine," he assured her as they went out to speak in the hallway, "I don't think she has a concussion, I'll check in on her tomorrow, but I think we're out of the woods. The wound's going to swell up, but that's perfectly normal, I know it's a lot to ask, but she'll have to try and keep away from being active for a while until the stitches come out."

Winter nodded, "Thank you. Is she still zoned out?"

"Nah, not nearly as much as she was. She's very alert. I'd talk with her too; she was murmuring something about wanting to become a medic. Stay safe, and I'll see you two tomorrow morning."

"How's your thinker?" Winter asked Amata, walking into the room and closing the door behind her.

"My pride is hurt more than my head," she admitted, "How're you?"

"I'm fine. You still feel sick?"

"Nah, I think I'm okay."

"Good," she sat down beside her on the bed, "You did really good today. I'm sorry that I was such a dick about you not covering me when I ran into the Brotherhood. I'm happy you didn't."

"In future, I'll be a little more reliable," she breathed, shuffling close and hugging her. Just being near her was enough to calm her down.

"You're clingy," Winter giggled.

"Good," Amata grunted stubbornly, squeezing her as if to prove a point, "This way I know where you are at all times."

"I thought you injected a tracker into my neck."

"Left the monitor in the Vault," she mumbled.

"How're you feeling, 'Mata?" the older girl asked as she fiddled with Amata's hair, "About everything?"

"Like I have the rest of my life in check," she sighed and nuzzled into Winter's shoulder.

"Doctoring?"

"Joey told you?"

"Just in passing. It's good; Church'll probably give you tutelage."

"That's a smart word."

"Fuck you," Winter laughed.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Engineering, the force, or Jet in a common room bunk?"

"I don't know. About the first two, I mean. I don't spend all damn day shooting up Jet."

"Next time you use it, I'm cutting out your tongue," Amata threatened tiredly, "I'm not watching you overdose, I can't be alone."

"It isn't a problem."

"Excellent, so it won't be hard for you to quit."

"Amata…"

"I don't care what bullshit reason you're about to give me as to why it's okay to inhale a local anaesthetic featuring the opening act of gasoline and paint thinner into your lungs a few times a week, all I hear is fart noises."

"But-" Winter began before Amata made a raspberry noise with her mouth.

"Amata-" another one, "Amata stop it, I won't make an excuse… apart from the fact that it feels good."

"So does eating cake, but you aren't fat, are you?"

"Alright… I'll try."

"Just ask Lucas to throw you in the drunk tank for a week when we get back. That'll help you kick it," Amata grunted as she sat up. She moved her legs to step over Winter but stopped, sitting on her waist instead, "Or, I could just chain you up in the basement of the clinic. It's super creepy down there."

"But then I'd develop an addiction to silence," Winter hummed, "And you'd probably insist on going clean with that one as well."

"Oh you're funny," Amata gasped sarcastically, "See, that was a joke about me not being able to shut up, wasn't it?"

Winter grinned up at her and went to sit up.

"No, no," Amata said, pushing her down by her shoulders, "I want to make sure I got the essence of the joke. See," she brushed her fingers along Winter's ribs, "I think that you were making fun of me, for talking a lot when I'm flustered."

"If you so much as fucking nudge my ribs," she warned, unable to hide the grin, "I will fight you and leave you in the street."

Amata grinned wickedly and moved her fingers along her ribs again, "See… that as a joke offended me, because I know that I cannot stop talking, and you know that I know that I cannot stop talking."

"Shut up," Winter groaned, but Amata pounced, tickling along Winter's ribs. Amata was seated on Winter's hips, so the older girl couldn't roll onto her side and curl into a ball like she usually did when Amata tickled her.

"I'm sorry!" she squealed, desperate to get away, "I'll never make fun of your motor mouth again! I promise!"

"Good," Amata nodded, letting her go.

Winter relaxed and settled back into the mattress, Amata raising her hands to show no more foul play.

"I won't do jet ever again," Winter promised.

Amata's smile faded, and for a moment neither of them said anything. Winter felt warm digits tangle with hers, feeding a courage she didn't realise she needed. She moved so she was halfway sitting up, resting against her elbows before her courage ran out. However, Amata had courage of her own and met her halfway. She leant her head down and quickly pecked Winter's lips, but to Winter it felt like she'd been stunned. Amata pursed her own as she studied Winter's face, but the black-haired girl lifted her head again and kissed her properly. Amata's lips were nervous and clumsy, and if Winter wasn't already concentrating on not fucking up, she would have laughed. She managed to focus on not laughing and was instead distracted by Amata's hands going into her hair.

Winter wanted to follow her instinct, to move her tongue and start testing her limits, but she couldn't. Not with Amata. It didn't matter how many people Amata had killed today; Winter could only see- or feel- this sweet, nervous girl, moving her tongue awkwardly like she was only going by what she'd seen in movies.

Winter was the first to pull away so she could breathe, which Amata immediately took it as a sign of displeasure, despite the fact they'd been making out for… god, Winter didn't even know how long.

"I-I'm sorry. It's the concussion talking."

"Uh huh," she drawled, "You sure?"

"…No," she admitted, sagging her shoulders. The bronzed tone of her face went red, and suddenly she couldn't look away, "What're we doing?"

"I'm not sure either," Winter chuckled. Her heart was pounding, and her head was swimming. A small thought, probably quieter than it should be, was roaring at her to consider the consequences for what she was doing, but it didn't matter right now.

Amata didn't seem to care either, because she leant down and kissed her again. Both of them were a little bolder this time.

"Hey!" Dusk shouted, "Daniels! Did you fall asleep in there?"

"No!" she called back, "Give me a second! I'll be right out."

"Where're you going?" Amata asked breathlessly.

"Oh. I'm… gonna go have a chat to Three Dog again. Get some sleep."

"How am I gonna get some sleep now?"

"I don't know! Get drunk. No- don't… just… read. We'll talk later," once again testing her boldness, she pecked her lips and slung her rifle over her back.

"Ah, you're going to talk to him with your gun."

"I swear, I'll be back before you know it."

"Remember that promise you made? 'We'd always be together'?"

Winter scrunched her eyes shut at the irritability of it all. If she told Amata now, she would either insist on going or convince her to wait. But Winter couldn't wait. What if she was too late and her Dad was in danger, or something?

"I'll be fine," Winter insisted, "You stay here. If you get one more knock on the head, I'm worried you'll start being as crazy as me."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" she asked listlessly.

"Depends on who you ask, I guess," she smiled, opening the door to leave, "Stay."

"Aye aye."

"Trouble in paradise?" Dusk smirked.

"Shut it," Winter laughed, "Let's go."

/

"Ay Marcus," Dusk called to one soldier patrolling GNR's plaza, "Don't wait up for me, yeah?"

"Okay," he chuckled.

"The fuck? Hey!" Winter whispered, "Don't let them think we're fucking!"

"So what? You got a wife in the BoS?"

"No!" Amata could find out, "Just… shit… I don't know."

"Look at you blushing," she grinned and pinched her reddening cheek, "I'm not gonna fuck you, Daniels. Don't worry about that."

"Alright, where are we going?"

"We aren't taking the metro," she explained, "The route we usually took to the Mall got caved in a few weeks ago. All jokes aside, I need you to stay on my ass. If we get separated, it's gonna be hard to find you. You know your way around the city?"

"Hell no."

"Alright. Most raiders go back into their hiding holes at night, but some like to go out hunting. When I hold up my arm straight up into a fist, you stop dead in your tracks, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Do everything as I say, and we'll be fine."

So they began to move through the dark streets of Downtown. After two hundred years, many tall buildings had crumbled and collapsed into the streets. Mounds and mounds of brick and mortar smothered the roads, making it so they would have to climb up and down each pile carefully.

Dusk warned her as they worked their way up a pile to be careful where she put her feet. Raiders would set trip wires that would detonate grenades or even landmines. Another risk was to cause the whole thing to crumble down on top of them.

There wasn't any fear in her mind, only a buzzing, weightless feeling as she replayed the kiss again and again. She wondered what would happen when she came back.

Dusk was kneeling on one knee and looking down the street as Winter reached the bottom of a mound of rubble. As she hit the ground, Dusk shot her arm up and Winter stopped dead in her tracks.

"Get down," she whispered, "Lie face down."

Winter did as she was told and Dusk quickly lay beside her.

"Don't move," Dusk whispered.

A pair of chattering voices began to drift down the street, but it was too far for Winter to make out what they were saying. Dusk had her rifle drawn and had propped herself up on her elbows.

"What do we do?" Winter mouthed.

"Shut up," Dusk hissed, "Don't move."

The group got closer and closer and the fear began to grip her. Everything in Winter wanted to charge at them, to just get the fight over with. The darkness surrounding them began to be bathed in a warm orange as a lantern came closer and closer. Dusk shuffled backward as quickly as she dared, her back pressed firmly against Winter as she prepared to aim her rifle.

Two figures scrambled down the opposite side of the mound from where they were. They both were filthy, with hair that looked like it had been cut with a knife, and clothing that didn't match. One wore shorts and a winter jacket, the other was shirtless and wearing welding pants. The shirtless one was bone thin; the other guy also looked skinny judging by his exposed cheekbones and his hollow, sunken in eyes.

Winter didn't realise she had been holding her breath until they began to burn shortly after the strangers got out of sight. They lay in silence for a few moments, listening to the footsteps fade.

"C'mon," Dusk whispered. They both got onto their feet and kept going.

"Would they have killed us?" Winter asked.

"I don't know, they aren't mindless animals," Dusk doubted as they moved up, "I already had my rifle on them, so they definitely wouldn't have shot us before I shot them."

They continued until they reached the Mall. The Washington Monument stabbed upward into the sky, but the grass leading up to it was scarred by trenches.

"The museum's just across from that way. Be careful, keep your eyes on the trenches. I know for a fact some of these mother fuckers like to lay low in there and take pot-shots at the monument and our guys that guard it."

"Got it."

They managed to cross into the museum without anybody bothering them. Dusk pointed out that she saw a few shadows dropping into a trench, but she doubted that they saw them. Dusk and Winter had approached the museum using a sidewalk; the trenches were about a hundred feet away from them.

"Shit, the doors are locked," Winter muttered.

"Are they? Damn. Alright, let's head back."

"What?"

"I'm joking," she chuckled. She crouched down and grabbed a small screwdriver and a bobby pin from her jacket pocket.

"Sweet," Winter smirked as the doors opened.

"You can thank my Dad's liquor cabinet for me being so good at this," Dusk explained as they slipped through the doors. The air was heavy with dust as they walked into the reception area.

"Here," Dusk dug into her pocket and brought out two thick pieces of fabic, taking one for herself then handing one to Winter, "Tie this around your mouth and nose."

Winter obeyed and looked around the reception. Telephones, radios, and rockets all populated the area. Dusk was just as curious as she was, carefully approaching a rocket and poking at it.

"C'mon," Winter nodded, "We don't have a lot of time."

They walked through reception and the sight ahead made Winter stop dead in her tracks.

It was a Vault. The exact same tunnel that Amata and Winter had used to escape, leading up to the huge, sturdy door.

"What's wrong?" Dusk asked as she walked through into the main Vault entrance.

"Nothing..." She muttered.

"You okay? You look a little shaky."

"I'm fine."

It was a small comfort for Winter to know that this place wasn't a real Vault, it was an advertisement, meant for people who lived before the war. Dusk was all about it, moving eagerly along the hallway and peering into each and every room. Each room contained a picturesque paradise, happy families eating dinner and kids playing in small playrooms. Beside each window was a speaker and when you pressed it, a man's voice, the same voice she had heard in Vault film reels time and time again during her childhood, pitched how each room would suit a potential buyer's family. It was so well done it was surreal. Everything was exactly like home, except for the thick layer of dust. Shouldering her rifle, she jumped up and smacked the top of the roof with both hands. It left two slightly distorted handprints and in doing so, scared the shit out of Dusk.

"Jesus Christ, why did you do that?"

She was homesick, and it was getting worse and worse as they walked into the engineering exhibit, promising that a Vault's trusty engineers would make it so you wouldn't even notice a light bulb blink. Before Winter had time to recover, they walked past a classroom. Just the sight of a teacher in a Vault suit, teaching a bunch of laughing and energetic kids, it made her heart break all over again.

"Dust is bothering you?" Dusk asked.

"Yeah," she croaked and wiped at her eyes, "Just... um... head on for a minute. I'll be right with you."

"Why?"

"Just scout ahead, please?"

"Okay..." Dusk trailed off before continuing down the hall. Once she was out of sight, Winter took a few deep breaths and overlooked the scene once more and imagined her Susie teaching. She was a passionate teacher, full of energy and only showing her fatigue when the kids couldn't see. Winter knew as she looked on at the scene that Susie was okay. She was going to spend the rest of her life happily teaching generation after generation of kids. She would find somebody else to love, maybe have a kid or two of her own. Winter would drift from her memory over time; maybe she would exist only in a photo she would look to now and then to remember her youth.

Yeah, she would, if you didn't beat the shit out of her brother and then watch as her Dad got shot in the face, Winter realised. It was then, and there Winter made peace with it. No matter how badly losing Susie had hurt, Susie wasn't dead. She was absolutely fine. She had to be. She was alive, happy, healthy, and she had her whole life in front of her.

You're justifying your behaviour again, her Dad would have told her.

Amata was suddenly a nagging thought in her mind instead of a pleasant one. No. No. Winter wasn't going to feel guilty. The same conversation she had with herself almost every night as she lay in bed with Nova.

"Daniels, c'mon!" Dusk hissed, "Get your shit together and let's go!"

"Yeah, I'm coming," Winter called.

They rounded the corner, past the classroom and the apartments until the Vault exhibit spat them out into the astronomy lobby. The ceiling was painted to show men in astronaut suits standing in line, saluting an American flag. Toy rockets on top of the moon lined shelves with faded price tags on them. Dusk approached an old book that was about the moon landing and eagerly snatched it from the shelf.

"Whoa! No fucking way!" Dusk grinned, "We actually went to the moon?!"

"Yeah, in the 1960s," Winter agreed, "You didn't know that?"

"No! I thought those old pricks from the Enclave were talking shit!"

"What's the Enclave?"

"How do you not know what the Enclave is?"

"How do you not know that we landed on the moon?"

"Fair enough. What? You've never seen an old motherfucker ranting about the old days in a bar?"

"Oh! I thought they were just old."

Dusk laughed and flipped through the book, "Basically, they don't like the idea of the BoS running around trying to get this shithole called Washington into order. They want it done with a President and…"

Dusk stopped at a page and turned it around, pointing to the American flag that an astronaut was placing into the surface of the moon, "That flag."

"The American flag," she nodded.

"You sure you aren't an Enclave asshole?"

"No, no I grew up…" she had already told Lyons, she might as well tell Dusk, "I grew up in Vault 101."

"Ha! No shit. It makes sense, I guess. So you… what? They let you outside to play?"

"Nah man, Amata and I got kicked out. I hadn't seen the sun until a few weeks ago."

"No shit. Ha- oh… oh, shit man, I'm sorry for being an asshole back there, I didn't know."

"Ah, it's alright," she shrugged.

"So what do you like better? Here, or that Vault?"

"I don't know…" she sighed as they began to walk through the halls looking for a relay dish, "The Vault was boring as shit, but it was safer than out here."

"Ah who needs safety," Dusk waved the idea off, "I grew up on a ranch in a military base, all it ever did was make you envious."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, my Dad and Mom own a decent amount of land. They breed horses and Brahmin. It was safe and peaceful… but that isn't for me, you know?"

"You ran away?"

"Fuck no; I love my parents and my brother. I told them I was signing up; they had a big party for me, I passed basic, then got shipped eight hundred miles away to Washington. Linked up with Dog Company, made it into the Pride, been with Ly for… hell… five years? I try and come home for Christmas every year."

Winter smiled, "Must be nice."

"Your parents in that Vault?"

"Nah, my Dad's out here somewhere and I'm trying to find him. He escaped, and I almost died because of it."

"Damn. What? You're gonna kill him?"

"No! I mean… I'll probably beat the shit out of him for getting me and Amata banished almost killed, but I won't kill him."

"Yeah well… in the meantime," they entered a room marked "Virgo II Spacecraft" and spotted a machine with a large round dish on top of it.

"That should do it," Dusk grinned… "How do we get it down?"

"Well… there should be some tools in a maintenance closet," Winter said.

"You know how to take it down?"

"Yeah, doesn't look that hard."

They found a maintenance closet and unlocked it.

"I was an engineer," Winter said as they walked back with a box full of tools, "Every day some asshole would break something, I'd have to fix it."

"Can- wait. How much do you know about the moon landing?"

"Not a lot, I was like, ten years old when I learnt about it," she approached the lander, "If I remember it right… they used this to land on the moon. So…" she scanned the plaque beside it, "Holy shit, this is the actual lander! This was on the moon once!"

"Bullshit," Dusk said, "You're bullshitting me."

"No, can you read English?" she laughed, "Look, read it."

Dusk scanned it while Winter began to climb up, "Oh my fucking Christ. Why're you climbing on it?!"

"Because I need the dish," she frowned. She climbed on top of the lander and began to loosen the deadbolts around the frame of the dish.

"Dude, come on. We'll find another dish," Dusk complained, "This is a piece of history."

"Yeah well, this piece of history gets to serve another purpose, playing shitty radio music and also," she pointed the wrench at Dusk as if to make a point, "To serve as a better range of communication for your brothers and sisters in arms."

Dusk didn't seem too enthused, but reluctantly backed off and took a look around while Winter worked.

"How much do you know about history?" Dusk asked suddenly.

Winter laughed, "That's a broad question. What do you want to know?"

"How did the world end?"

"Well, America ended when it got nuked by China, if you're asking about the other countries, I don't know."

"How many other countries are there?"

"England," she grunted, working through a particularly stubborn bolt, "France… Germany… Italy…"

"You're speaking gibberish."

"I'm not," she promised, "Alright this thing's almost done."

"My family said our family came from Africa?"

"I mean… probably."

"What about you? You've got a little bit of something in you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you aren't white."

"I don't know. My Dad is."

"… And your Mom?"

"Never knew her. Never even saw a picture."

"Why not? They didn't have cameras in the Vault?"

"No, no she died before I was born, Dad lied to me and said I was born in the Vault, but I was born somewhere out here and taken into that shithole when I was tiny."

"Huh," she chuckled, "For all you know, your Mom could still be alive. Maybe they just had a messy divorce, your Dad and her, and he took you into that Vault as a 'fuck you' move?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," she grunted, "Be ready to catch this dish, it's fucking heavy."

Dusk caught the dish and groaned, "Holy shit, this thing weighs a tonne."

"How do you want to work this, then?" Winter asked, "I'll carry it halfway, you carry it the rest?"

"Don't be a pussy. You cover me while I carry it," Dusk grunted, "It's only a mile."

"Jesus Dusk, you're gonna break your back."

"Yeah well, make sure I don't get shot on top of that. We're heading to that giant white dick, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."

They left the museum headed back into the street.

"I swear to god, if you drop that fucking thing," Winter warned as they jogged along the sidewalk, keeping their gaze fixed toward the direction of the trenches. It was impossible to see clearly, but they were making enough noise for someone to shoot blindly if they wanted to.

"Just focus on the road," Dusk hissed. As they got over halfway, a shot rang out from the trenches.

"Shit!" Dusk hissed, "Keep moving, don't stop moving!"

"Drop the fucking dish!" Winter insisted.

"No!" Dusk shouted as another shot sailed over their heads and impacted a second story balcony, "Move!"

"You fucking move!"

Winter took off running and ducked into the alleyway before firing a few shots into the dark. She couldn't hit anything for shit; she could barely see ten feet let alone shoot a target a hundred feet away.

"Come on, you fucking hunchback," Winter grunted as Dusk as she hobbled past, "If you insist on dying over the dish, at least make it difficult for them to shoot you."

Dusk laughed, despite the bullets darting around them, "I like you, kid."

"Move!"

"Let me run in front," Dusk wheezed after they had run a quarter mile and were closing in on the monument.

"Why? You can barely walk."

"Because the BoS will see us, and I'm wearing the motherfucking uniform. You aren't; you're gonna get shot."

"Oh," she dropped back and moved behind Dusk.

The immediate area around the Washington Monument was surrounded by ten feet tall piles of sandbags, held up by chain link fencing with barbed wire at the top. A blue flag shaped like the symbol on Dusk's sleeve flew on a flagpole, illuminated by a flood light. The banner looked like it had been shot around fifty times and the sandbags surrounding it had been pummelled. As they drew closer, a group of four soldiers popped out of a sandbag-protected balcony and aimed their rifles.

"Stop! Hey!" Dusk shouted, "Knight Dusk, Dog Company, Lyons' Pride! Jesus cunting fuck drop your goddamn weapons!"

"Get inside, Dusk!" one of the soldiers shouted, "Is the civvie with you?"

"Yeah!"

Two soldiers pushed open the gates, giving them just enough space for them both to run through.

"Alright," a soldier grunted as he pushed the gates closed behind them. He turned to Winter and gave her what was supposed to be a comforting smile but just looked condescending, "You're safe here-"

"Thank you- whoa!" Winter grinned, "You guys have robots?!"

Dusk had put the dish down and looked at what Winter was fawning over, "That's a soldier in Power Armor, dumbass."

"I- okay. Look Dusk, if you're gonna call me stupid whenever I don't know something then you're in for a bad time," Winter laughed as the "robot" approached her, "Hey man, sorry about the robot thing."

"Don't mention it. I usually get that flak from kids," he spoke through what looked like a mic in his helmet. He did look like a robot though. The armor was huge around a normal sized human. The limbs, chest, and helmet looked like they were made of metal, but when he moved Winter could spot rubber connecting the two halves of each limb together. The helmet had two glass slits to serve as eye holes for the operator to see though, and a microphone shaped hole to serve as a mouthpiece. Along the "jawline" of the helmet were two rubber pipes that, when the soldier turned around, led to a tank that was strapped to his back. Above the tank was a valve, positioned just below where the soldier's neck would be. He stomped away, wearing thick metal boots.

"Why don't you guys wear that shit all the time?!" Winter asked Dusk excitedly as they walked for the actual monument, Winter carrying the dish this time.

"Because we aren't exactly rich with oil and a reliable power source for these things," Dusk explained, "If they break down, it can take weeks before we can find the right part to fix them. We have suppliers from other states who provide it, but they're expensive, and more often than not it becomes a whole thing like 'this part only solves part of the problem, we need to ship another part in', it's a fucking mess."

"No shit- oh! The monument has an elevator."

"No, we're just gonna climb up," Dusk mocked as she hit the button to call the elevator down, "Anyways. Look at how slowly that guy in the armor moved, you're a sitting duck if you're in a tight combat scenario. Give me my light infantry uniform any day of the week."

"Nobody wants to wear these things?"

"Fuck no," Dusk dismissed it immediately, "It's hot, clunky, frustrating, and you're a giant target to anybody with a handgun all the way up to somebody with a missile launcher. Besides, you have to be like six feet tall to wear it properly, a lot of the guys here are lucky to crack five eight."

"Why's that?"

"Lack of food growing up. You can tell who came from a military family and who came from a hole in the ground, no offence, by their general condition. Sure, there's little guys on the military family side of things, but they're few and far between. Shortest guy I ever saw in an infantry uniform was just under five feet."

"Fascinating," Winter climbed into the elevator with her.

"You kept a cool head out there, thank you."

"You're welcome, thanks for coming out. I know you had your own stake with it but… yeah."

They reached the top and walked out to the small communications post. The sun was beginning to peak out from the cracks of the city buildings as Winter went to work dismantling the broken dish.

"You sure you're alright with me doing this? Don't you guys need a proper engineer?"

"I served with the current engineer of this post," Dusk perched herself up on top of a crate and dug into her jacket pocket, "Trust me, the dish is in better hands with you than it is with him. You smoke?"

"Yeah."

Dusk lit and handed her a cigarette, which she hung out of her mouth as she started installing the new dish.

"Can I ask you a stupid question?" Dusk asked while lighting her own cigarette as she watched the sun rise, "You know how the moon's pretty much just a big rock, right?"

"Yeah?"

"How come the moon isn't like the sun? How come it isn't super bright?"

"Because the sun is a star."

"What? Fuck you, no it ain't," she chuckled. She looked up and pointed at the fading stars in the sky, "Those are stars."

"Yeah, they are," Winter nodded, "The sun is just a star that's super close to us. The others are super far away."

"Fuck you," Dusk leant forward with a teasing smile, "I think you're just fucking with me."

"No, I'm being legit. If you think I'm bullshitting, take this old piece of shit dish, lug it back to the museum and crack open a book about stars," Winter laughed, "Alright… this should do it. Do we have a radio up here?"

"Believe it or not, yeah," Dusk got up from the crate and walked to an older radio, "I suppose it'd be a good idea to let Lyons know that I haven't gone AWOL."

She grabbed the mouthpiece and toyed with a dial, "Washington Monument to GNR."

"GNR, go ahead," a soldier replied.

"This is Knight Dusk, Dog Company, Lyons' Pride reporting in."

"Jesus Dusky, what're you doing out there?"

"I secured a replacement dish for the Washington Monument," she began to brag before catching the look Winter was giving her, "The civvie helped me."

"Don't think that'll save you from Lyons' wrath, by the way," he chuckled, "Marcus tried covering for you, but we could only do so much."

"Nah man, I get it. We're on our way back home now."

"Yeah. Oh! While you're there, Washington just passed me. He wants three guys stationed at the Monument to go with you to replace the guys we lost yesterday."

"Yeah…" Dusk replied sadly, "Yeah man… we should be home for breakfast."

"Yeah. I'll let Lyons know you're alive."

"Thanks," she mumbled, "Alright. Let's head home."

"Will it be dangerous now it's light?"

"Nah, these guys know the Mall like the back of their hand. Besides, these fuckers are hardly up before noon anyways. You'll be fine, kid."

"Don't call me a kid. How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-five. You're… what? Sixteen"?

"I'm fucking nineteen!" she laughed in disbelief, "I'm just as tall as you."

"I'm just breaking your balls," Dusk teased, "Alright. Let's get home and get murdered."

"Not me, I'm betting my bottom dollar that Amata fell asleep the second I left. The medic should have given her some good shit for the pain, she won't budge for another hour or so, easy."

Dusk could only shrug. They made it to the bottom of the elevator, got the guys they needed, and started to head back to GNR.

/

When they did get back, a little after eight am, a few of the soldiers made jeering noises at Dusk as they walked.

"Lyons is gonna eat you, Dusky," a soldier teased.

"Ah go fuck yourself you smartass," Duck smirked. They walked through the foyer, and all the swagger Dusk had while they were walking along GNR's plaza died the second she saw Lyons. Lyons was waiting like a disappointed mother at the bottom of the stairs. Arms crossed firmly over her chest, towering above them both, even Winter shied away from her cold gaze.

"Just what in god's name do you think you were doing, Dusk?" Lyons began. She didn't yell, but her calm, stiff tone was somehow worse.

"I was helping the civvie get a new dish."

"Yeah, I got that from Three Dog," she said, her shoulders sagging, "Come on, Dusk. Tell me where you're going. I was worried sick. I lose Reddin and Kodiak; now I have to spend the whole night worrying about you? You and me, we're all that's left of the Pride."

"I'm sorry, Lyons."

Lyons only took a half step back and looked at Winter, who quickly glanced away when their eyes met.

"You better get upstairs," Lyons warned.

"Why? What did I do?"

"Your friend is losing her shit," Lyons said, "She's convinced you're dead."

"Uh oh," Dusk chuckled.

"You aren't better, not by any means," Lyons warned, "When we get back, you're running the Hotel Course with the new recruits."

"No," Dusk whined.

Winter abandoned them at the foyer and jogged around the corner. When she opened the door, Amata's head whipped up. The side of her face where the wound was had swollen up overnight, leaving a weird lump protruding from outside the shell of her ear.

"Hey," Winter beamed, "How did you sleep?"

"I didn't sleep, you asshole," she croaked, she got up out of bed and charged at her, throwing her arms around her and squeezing onto her tight, "I was up all night terrified that you were dead!"

"I'm sorry," she sighed.

"What did we say? We stick together!" Amata yelled after breaking away from her.

"I'm so fucking sorry," Winter groaned.

"Are you hurt?"

"Nah. I'm a bit dusty, but I'm okay."

"Get changed and get into bed," Amata ordered.

"What?"

"Get… changed…" Amata said through her teeth, "And get… into… that… bed."

Winter quickly changed and did as she was told.

"I'm going to have a nap," Amata explained as she got into bed with her, "If I wake up, and you're missing, I'll leave you dead in the street."

"Jesus… can I read?"

"Sure, why not?" she muttered, "Never do that to me again."

"I won't, I'm sorry. Do you… want to talk about what happened before I left?"

Amata groaned, "Why?"

"What do you mean, why?"

"Because I'm already mad at you, if you want to back out it might literally kill me."

"I don't really wanna back out," Winter frowned.

"… You don't?"

"No. At least… I don't think so. It felt right."

"And you aren't worried about how it might ruin the friendship?"

"Hell, I can ruin this friendship just fine without making out with you," Winter chuckled.

"We'll talk about it when I wake up," she sighed, wrapping an arm around Winter's waist, as if to hold her in place as she closed her eyes, "I'm still mad at you."

"Clearly."

"Shut up."


	10. Mister Dog

"I want to thank both of you for your help in getting the dish," Three Dog's assistant beamed at them while Dusk and Winter accepted the coffee they offered, "Unfortunately, he's sleeping right now so he won't be able to thank you personally."

"Shame," Dusk murmured into her cup.

"Yes, he told me he didn't discuss payment with you."

"My fee was information," Winter straightened up in her seat.

"Yes, um…" she opened up her notepad and flipped through to a page that was covered in erratic scribblings, "He wanted me to let you know your father is visiting a friend in Rivet City."

Winter raised her eyebrows when the assistant closed her book, "That's it?"

"We almost died for that?" Dusk added.

"I'm sorry, that's all he knows."

"Where the fuck is Rivet City?" Winter asked Dusk.

"I'll tell you later," she answered, "I want some money out of this. Hang on, just… let me speak to Three Dog."

"Mister Dog-" the assistant began to speak before she was cut off by them laughing, "Mister Dog is currently sleeping."

"Fantastic, where's his room?" Dusk asked.

"I can't let you know that."

"Yeah well he either talks to me now or I bust into his stupid booth while he's on the air. It's up to you."

"Right this way," she sighed. Three Dog's room was just around the corner, and Dusk let herself in. Three Dog was eating at his table when they both came in, around ten feet from Dusk.

"Hey, buddy!" Dusk shouted, slamming her boot against the metal frame of the chair and jerking it so Three Dog faced her.

"What?!" he roared.

"No, no, no," Dusk grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back down with surprising strength when he tried to get up, "You stay down now. We need to discuss payment for our services."

"Who the fuck are you?!" Three Dog shouted.

"You ripped off my friend, here," she moved to the back of the chair and placed both hands on her shoulders to hold him in place.

"You made me run through a goddamn hell hole for you to tell me that my Dad went somewhere else?" Winter growled.

"Oh go fuck yourself, you were fine, weren't you?"

"We want better payment than a pat on the back and a kind word, dogshit," Dusk said.

"Or what?"

"What do you mean, 'or what'? Cough up some cash, or I'll beat the shit out of you."

"Yeah, like your CO is going to let you get away with that."

"You wanna bet? I don't like getting fucked around, Dog," Dusk warned, "Three hundred caps. One fifty each."

"You'll get one hundred."

"Try again," she sighed.

"One. Hundred. I've seen what happens to you kids who beat up civilians; you get shipped up north to work in those goddamned prisons."

"Do they? Alright, never mind. Let's take a walk," Dusk hoisted Three Dog up by his arm and marched him down the hall and into his studio.

"Sit the fuck down," she shoved him into the chair and looked to the large cabinet of records, "Daniels, do me a favour. Find me a record that reads 'A Wonderful Guy'."

"Sure," Winter shrugged. She found the record easily and handed it to her.

"What're you going to do with that?"

"I'm gonna smash it," she answered, drawing the record out from its sleeve.

"No! No! It took me five years to find that record! It's a classic."

"I goddamn know it's a fucking classic, I've heard this stupid song five times a day for the last five goddamned years. Stop fucking me around, Three Dog, and pay me my money."

"Listen to what she says, Three Dog," Winter warned, "God knows how long it will take to find another one."

Three Dog's knee bounced erratically as he thought, "Okay… okay… look…. Best I can do is two hundred."

Dusk tossed the record against the wall, where it smashed into dozens of small shards and made a small dent in the already pretty battered drywall.

"There's your fucking Wonderful Guy, right there," Dusk shouted over Three Dog's wailing, "Daniels! Get me… hmm… get me… what's that fucking song? You know the one?"

She hummed the melody to it, moving her wrist in a circle as she hummed as if to hurry it along, "You know… dunna dunna dunna I don't wanna leave the Congo oh no-no-no-no-no…? Come on."

"I've been here for five fucking minutes, I don't know every song that he wears down into the ground."

"I'm so happy in the jungle I refuse to go…" Dusk muttered the words along to herself, "Come on, Daniels."

"Civilization!" Winter shouted in realisation.

"No! Not Civilization!" Three Dog begged.

"Three hundred caps for a non-smashed record, dude," Dusk shrugged as Winter handed her the record, "I'm gonna count to three, then I'm tossing it."

"Okay! Okay! Three hundred caps!" Three Dog surged forward and ripped open a drawer to his desk. He yanked out a pouch with "300" written on it and tossed it at her.

"Oh, would you look at fucking that," Dusk jeered, "That wasn't too hard, was it?"

"Fuck you," he sobbed.

"Why did my father even come and see you, anyway?" Winter asked.

"We were friends!" he shouted, "Before you were born. I knew your mother and your father. I asked how you were and all he said was that you didn't turn out the way he had hoped. Guess he was right."

"You knew my Mom?"

"Yeah, I did. She was a goddamn saint! Look at you, shaking down an innocent man! She'd be ashamed to see you now!"

"Why didn't you fucking tell me sooner?"

"He used you like a fucking pawn," Dusk spat in disgust.

"Is she alive?" Winter muttered.

"Man, fuck you-"

Winter lunged forward and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, "Is she alive?!"

"No!" he shouted, "She died when you were born, you goddamn psycho! I was at the funeral! With you, your goddamn Dad, and-"

He bit his lip, "And that was hard."

"I bet. If you're gonna bring up my Mom and try and guilt trip me, don't do it after you rip me off."

"Go on after him then, but don't expect a happy family reunion. Rivet fucking City, if there's any justice in the world, you'll be robbed and beaten before you can even get there."

"Ah fuck you," Winter muttered while she headed for the door, "Go shoot up and rant in your microphone some more, you damn hermit."

"And you!" Three Dog shouted at Dusk, "Your commanding officer will hear about this!"

"Three Dog, do you really want to walk downstairs and complain to my mourning company that I was mean to you? Maybe they'll take your bitching as a sign that you don't appreciate our sacrifices? Maybe finally we'll ditch this shithole and find another, much more suitable stronghold to hold ourselves up in. Keep singing our praises on that radio, dogshit, and we'll keep saving your ass from being a disc jockey in much crueller company."

Three Dog seemed to shut up about that, but it didn't matter, because Dusk was already out the door with Winter close behind.

"Alright," Dusk led her into a break room and drew two sacks out from a pocket on the side of her combat pants. She dumped the caps on a table and started moving the caps into two piles, one considerably bigger than the other. She scooped the two piles into one pouch each and tossed Winter the lighter one, "One hundred for you, two hundred for me."

"Fucking excuse me?" Winter frowned.

"Yeah, I told you. Don't thank me, or else you'll have to pay me."

"Nuh uh," Winter shook her head, "Equal payment. I got the dish down, I covered you while you carried it, and I installed the goddamn thing."

"And I provided the navigation. Your dumb ass would have gotten lost and wandered into a shithole raider hideout if it wasn't for me. You really wanna get your ass beat over fifty caps?"

"No, I'm gonna get my ass beat so I don't get fucking ripped off."

Dusk smiled and went back into her pouch and started retrieving the 50 caps, "I like you, kid."

"Yeah, you keep saying that. Give me my fucking money."

Dusk smiled in delight and eased her shoulders down. She ran a hand through the short stubble on the top of her head before she spoke, "Yeah, look. You're going about the 'no-nonsense' bullshit the right way, but you're too skinny for your words to carry any weight. Look at you," she gestured at her arms, "We're the same height and I have twenty pounds on you, easy. What you wanna do, is go home, and just eat. Stuff your fucking face. Eat pasta, protein, and veggies, lay off fat, okay?"

"I know, the food here is just hard to get used to. I used to be stronger, but the food isn't agreeing with me."

"Right?!" Dusk nodded in agreement, "I used to be the same way when I got here. Everything is either canned or tasteless, everything at home was fresh off the animal or fresh off the plant it was born from. It takes you a few months, but you'll get used to it. You know how to work out?"

"Yeah, I know how."

"Yeah, you really don't wanna get fat. Make sure you run just as much as you work on strength. When your horse dies from out underneath you, and you've gotta run, you'll be happy you can run."

"Alright."

"You let me know when you're leaving, yeah? I'll say goodbye."

"Yeah."

"What do you say?"

"What?"

"Say 'thank you, Dusk for giving me the cash'."

Winter smirked, "Fuck you, I ain't saying nothing."

"Ahh go fuck off," Dusk flipped her off with a grin and headed out into the GNR courtyard. Winter turned on her heel to head back into Amata's room.

Amata was finishing up with making a late lunch when Winter came back. They had woken up that morning with an awkward air between them, Amata had rested the non-stitched side of her face on Winter's chest and had drooled onto her shirt. Winter didn't mind it so much though, whatever kept Amata happy while she was hurt like she was was fine by her. It was still uneasy, like they were trying to find their footing.

"Hey," Winter smiled.

"Hey!" she greeted with a mouth full of bread and Brahmin meat, "How did it go with Three Dog?"

"One fifty," she tossed the bag of caps onto the bed, "How's your head?"

"Hurts, but I'll be okay. Here," she handed Winter a sandwich before scooting forward a little.

"Thank you," Winter yawned.

"So…"

"So…?"

"What's the plan?"

"Well… I figure… we just head back home the way we came."

"You know that isn't what I'm talking about, Winter."

Winter glanced away for a moment, "Well… I don't know…"

"First time in my life I've seen you this bashful. Look, if you aren't into me like that, then we need to nip it in the bud right now, just so things don't get out of control, and nobody's feelings get hurt."

"No. No, I like you… like that. Just… Amata, you're the most important thing in the world to me, and it would kill me to have us fuck this up."

Amata didn't seem too phased, "I know you, you aren't exactly a stranger to me."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What made you want to kiss me?"

"Because I was attracted to you."

"Okay, let me rephrase the question. You've never been interested in me when we were in the Vault, right?"

"No."

"So… what made everything change?"

"A lot."

"You aren't making it easy for me to go through with this."

"You're smart," Amata leant forward and pressed her index and middle fingers against her forehead as if to prove a point, "You're making plans, you're running around like a badass and not complaining about everything... as much. You're different; you aren't a little smartass hot head… at least… not as much as you used to be. I kissed you because I liked the person who you are becoming."

"Not just because you were concussed?"

"No," she chuckled, "I'd been toying with the idea for a few weeks. Ever since Springvale, actually. It was a little thought nagging at my head whenever I saw you."

"You don't take shit from anybody anymore," Winter mumbled, "I… fuck you know that I'm bad at this."

"Yeah well, try."

Winter smiled, "You're gonna be something, if the whole medic thing doesn't work out, you'll be awesome at something else. You want to help people."

Amata scooted closer so their knees were touching. She had a giddy smile on her face, "You're cute when you try to express emotions like a normal human being."

"Fucking hilarious," Winter muttered.

"We'll finish our food, and I'll let you sit on it, think about it," she said, "I'm not in love with you or anything, not like that."

"Good to know," she stammered. She was a little disappointed, in a stupid way. She was glad Amata wasn't head over heels for her, Winter wasn't even sure if she wanted to risk ruining their friendship by upgrading it into a romantic relationship.

"You know what I mean. Winter, we could be dead tomorrow. We could be dead in half an hour. Some motherfucker with a handgun could wander into this room and pop us both in the head, and that will be it. What's the point in being shy and uncertain anymore? I like you, let's just see where this thing goes."

Winter wanted to surrender to the hopeful feeling in her guts, but doubt kept toying with her.

"I want some time," she said after a while.

"Okay," Amata nodded. She didn't looked pissed. Despite her non-chalant approach to it, Winter thought she could see a little doubt creeping around in Amata's eyes.

/

They had their things packed and ready to go the next morning at daybreak. Winter insisted on approaching Lyons to say goodbye. The soldier was busy talking with Washington but was more than happy to step aside along with Dusk for a quick chat.

"You guys heading out?" Lyons asked.

"Yeah," Winter shouldered her rifle and held out her hand to shake, "Thank you again, for everything."

"Don't mention it," she shook both of their hands, "Remember what I said about Springvale."

"I'll remember."

"Keep your head on straight," Dusk told both of them, "We should get a drink sometime. When we meet again."

"When we meet again," Winter repeated, "I think I'll see you two soon."

"I hope so too," Dusk slapped her on the shoulder, and with that, Winter and Amata left.

They made it through the metro and back into Arefu before nightfall. The metro stations they had used hadn't been caved in, so the two had very little trouble navigating. They ran into only two people, one of whom was a nice old guy who warned them of a deep puddle along one of the tunnels. When they reached the Arefu hotel, they paid for a vacant room and dumped their bags on the ground before an awkward air suddenly settled between them.

"Do you…" Amata gestured to the bed but couldn't maintain eye contact. Winter didn't want to share the bed with her. Not yet. Not under these circumstances. Before they'd started stirring up feelings for one another, they would have been happy to just sleep on the bed together, but this was different. It was a lot to unpack.

"I'll keep watch again," Winter said, "I've got the couch."

"No, you got the couch last time, I can take it tonight."

"You need a good pillow for your head. Go drool on that for tonight."

"Fuck you!" Amata giggled, "Alright. I'm gonna wake up halfway through the night, and we can swap over."

"Uh huh," Winter yawned.

"I will."

"Amata, you could sleep through a fucking gunfight."

"I will!"

"Alright then," Winter tossed a blanket over herself as she lay down on the couch, "I'll see you in a few hours."

"You're a dick," she chuckled.

"And you keep acting surprised."

"Alright. G'night," Amata smiled before pecking her lips.

/

Winter's alarm on her watch went off at 6 am. Glancing over the armrest of the couch, she found Amata utterly dead to the world on the bed, sprawled out on her stomach while snoring and drooling into her pillow.

"Waking up early my ass," Winter chuckled. She got up and tickled the sole of Amata's foot. The girl woke up in a fit and looked around, startled.

"Good morning, Princess," Winter laughed, dodging the pillow that was thrown her way.

"Fuck you," Amata groaned into the one remaining pillow she had.

"C'mon. It's 6 am, we gotta go."

"Five minutes."

"Come on."

"Two minutes."

Winter slumped down beside her, facing Amata's back and whispering in her ear, "Get up."

"Make me."

Winter ignored her and gently ran her finger along the stitches, "How is it?"

"Better, the pain isn't nearly as bad today. I'd be a lot better if we got some more sleep."

"C'mon, we have to get back to Megaton before sundown. Don't you wanna go see Lucas again? He'll be worried sick."

"I hate the Common Room," Amata sighed.

"I have one fifty from the Galaxy News job. IF we pool our savings together, maybe we could buy a small apartment or something. How much does a house cost?"

"Around a thousand."

"And we have what? Five hundred? We'll see if we can pay half now and just pay increments back over time."

Amata got up and headed for the bathroom, "Okay… just… can you work on breakfast?"

They ate and made their way back down to the stables. The roads were already choked full of people all pouring into various highways. From what Winter could see, however, the road to Megaton was looking relatively quiet.

"Hey boy," Winter beamed and mounted her horse.

"Can I ride with you?" Amata asked suddenly.

"What d'ya mean?" Winter frowned.

"Tie my horse to yours, and we can share a saddle."

"You just want to nap some more," Winter playfully accused her, "Alright."

Amata beamed up at her and climbed onto the saddle as they began to ride off. For the first half an hour or so Amata behaved herself, keeping quiet and keeping her hands on her own thighs, but after a few miles she let out a loud, dramatic yawn and rested her head on the back of Winter's shoulder. Eventually, she wrapped both arms around Winter's abdomen and settled.

"You're making an easy sell for us going further," Winter commented, "How come I couldn't take a nap while we rode home?"

"My poor head," she winced, "It pounds with each beat of my heart."

"Really?"

"No, your back is just really comfortable."

"So is my front, apparently."

"Aside from the drool, are you complaining?"

"Nah, I'll just wear a poncho or something when I go to sleep."

"So you are considering giving this whole thing a go?"

"Still haven't made up my mind yet."

"Well, so far I'm the one convincing you. You haven't done anything to convince me that you'll be a decent gir- date."

"Well, for starters, I'm the better smooth talker there, Casanova. But you know that I'll look after you, I won't mess around on you, I won't- I won't do anything. Not until you're ready."

"Smooth as butter," Amata shifted a little awkwardly in the saddle.

"And I make you laugh," Winter quickly added to alleviate the tension, "And well… I'm not gonna say I'll protect you because I know you don't need protecting, but I'll have your back, no matter what."

"I know," she returned to snuggling into her back, "And I have yours. Literally and figuratively."

Winter took one of her hands off of the reins and placed it on top of Amata's. Amata wordlessly nudged her fingers upward, gesturing for Winter to move her palm. Winter lifted her hand so Amata could withdraw her arm, wrap it around the top of Winter's, and twirl their fingers together. The affection made Winter practically glow. Amata didn't let go, not even after she had fallen asleep, and it was fine by her. She looked back to check on Amata's horse, that was trotting along calmly beside them as they worked closer and closer to Megaton.

/

They arrived at Megaton shortly before sundown, Amata was fully awake by then and spotted Lucas riding towards them from the gate.

"Ha! You're alive!" Lucas grinned.

"Of course, what else did you expect?" Winter laughed as she helped Amata down from the horse.

"What happened to you?" he reached up and pointed at the bandage poking out from underneath Amata's hat.

"Just a knock to the head, I'll be fine," Amata promised.

"Get Church to have a look at it."

"I might as well go now," Amata shrugged at Winter, "I've gotta get books from Church to study anyway."

"Yeah, I'll meet you at the clinic in a second," Winter smiled at her.

"How did everything go?" Lucas asked Winter as she led the horses back to the stables.

"Fine. We found out my Dad went to Rivet City, I wanna take a few days to recover before I figure out what we're going to do… I might not even go at all. I don't know."

"Good idea, it's a dangerous trip," he nodded.

"We met the Brotherhood of Steel as well. One of the soldiers there thought that I'd be a good fit."

"You want to join?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"What about Amata?" he nodded at the happy girl wandering back to the clinic.

"The money I earn will go back to her," Winter answered, "I think she might want to study medicine first."

"And what happens if you get killed? How will you provide then?"

"Amata will be fine without me. She's gonna be a doctor."

"And what about you?"

"Well… I'm probably gonna join up-"

"With the BoS," Lucas finished impatiently, "The BoS isn't all running around being a hero."

"It was fun, though," she shrugged.

"Alright, just… good God, my eleven-year-old boy, has more sense than you," he rubbed his thumb and index finger in between the bridge of his nose, "I'm going to ride north in a few days, we're expecting a fight so come with us. It's more experience for you. It'll take a few days."

"Alright, I'm down," she shrugged, "I'll talk to Amata about it."

Lucas and Winter split up, and Winter went to check on Amata.

"You!" Church yelled when Winter wandered into the clinic, "How hard is it to keep an eye on one person?"

"Hello to you too, Church," Winter raised her hands defensively.

"Look at this," Church pointed at the stitches. He had Amata seated on a hospital bed so he was able to look down on her with some judgement. Winter hated it, Church was reminding her a little too much of the Overseer. If he wasn't being such a good doc and potential teacher to Amata, Winter would have told him to fuck off.

"She's fine," she gestured at her.

"And you made it to Galaxy News. You know how I know that?"

"We're alive?"

"Because this dumbass," he pointed to the radio that Three Dog was blaring out of, "Has been bitching for the last few days about a 'rabid hermit that clawed her way out of Vault 101 and started smashing shit' in his office."

"That was Amata," Winter pointed.

"Hey!" Amata laughed.

"You should have seen it, she was screaming and throwing shit everywhere," Winter boasted.

"Try and act a little more kind, please? The man has friends."

"I don't want to meet his friends."

"I bet you don't. You just saw Lucas, yeah?" Church asked as he poured them some coffee.

"Yeah."

"If you're thinking about going on that trip up north into Davika than you have another thing coming," he warned Amata, "Don't even think about going, before that idiot starts selling you the sales pitch."

"Where's Davika?" Amata asked

"A day or two's ride from here. You know those cowboy hick types?"

"Everybody here is a cowboy hick type," Winter sat down beside Amata and handed her a cup.

"They're the main northern settlement north east of Arefu. Huge farming and ranching community, almost all of our horses come from Davika."

"It's a dumb name."

"Yeah well… the guy who runs it is named David O'Connor the 12th."

"Good fucking fuck," Winter giggled into her drink, "Davika? As in Dave-ee-kah?"

"Yeah. A larger collective group of narcissists you never will see. Most people pronounce it 'Dav-ee-kah', but the elitist fucks that run the place insist on drawling out the 'Dave' part as obnoxiously as they can. They've decided that their next shipment of horses and cattle that are heading our way should come at a higher price. So… Lucas is gonna take a group up north and try to hammer out a deal."

"They make fine horses, though?"

"The best. They cost a damn fortune, though."

"We'll think about whether or not it's the best move for us," Amata sighed, "You mentioned a reading list?"

"Ah! I did," he lifted himself up and trudged over to the bookcase, "Amata, if you're serious about this, and I hope that you are, you should use the quiet riding time to Davika-"

He sighed at Winter snickering at the name, "And you should read through the basic material; how to treat bullet wounds, broken bones, that sort of thing. When you come back, we'll discuss a proper learning program, okay?"

"Okay," Amata stood up and flinched at the foot-tall pile of books Church was gesturing at.

"You're still living in the Common Room, right?"

"Yeah."

"Only take two. I don't want those junkies you bunk with to steal something. Take…" he rubbed at his beard before coming to a conclusion, "Take… these and these. They cover the basic names of the muscles and tendons in your body, and this is a basic first-aid manual."

"I have an idea," Winter announced as they left the clinic.

"What's your idea?" Amata sighed as she scanned through the contents page of one of the books.

"I steal a horse."

"Why?!"

"One horse. If they're making a billion of them, they won't notice one of them missing. I steal one, ride it with us back to Megaton, and we'll sell it when we get back. Easy money."

"Why do we need easy money?"

"A house. If you're gonna be a doctor here, you need a nice house to live in. Not sleeping in the Common Room smelling everybody's farts."

"And what about you?"

"Well… BoS, I think."

"We stay together," Amata repeated, poking Winter's chest with the spine of her book, "Don't make me regret developing feelings for you."

"I'll be good."

"Then don't steal a goddamn horse… unless we know for certain that we'll get away with it."

"There we go," she grinned, "I'm gonna go clean up and get a drink. You feel like a few shots?"

"God yes. Do we have to go to Moriarty's though?"

"No, you just stay here, and I'll get some whiskey."

When she came back, she laughed at the curtain that had been drawn over her own bunk. Whipping the curtain back, Amata jumped in fright and tossed the book at her in a pitiful attempt at self-defence.

"Good job," Winter laughed, bending over and picking up the book, "Why is it always my bed?"

"Because it's warm, comfortable, and it has your smell," she explained with a heavy blush.

"You meant to sound all suave and lost your nerve, didn't you?" Winter teased as she scooted into the bed with her. Winter unscrewed the cap and took a sip and handed it back to Amata.

"So why do you want to go north? Why not just got find your Dad?"

"Look…I was thinking about it on the ride back home," Winter explained, "If Dad's just wandering around doing whatever, why should I risk your pretty little face to just… check in? He probably heard about us on the radio. If he wants to find us, he can find us."

Amata took a few sips of whiskey before making sure the curtain was closed.

"You're cute," she declared before straddling her waist. Winter's tongue went thick in her mouth and all the suave, smartass remarks she could think of flew out of her head and all she could muster was a small smirk and, "You're getting drunk."

"So?" she teased before leaning down and pecking her lips. One peck turned into a few, then the whiskey was abandoned.

"You're getting better," Winter murmured.

"You're a good teacher," Amata teased, "Don't go any further though. If someone catches us banging we're gonna become those people."

"You already moan when we make out," Winter pointed out. Amata gave her a smile that made Winter melt, and the implication that she would have been fine with going further if they were actually alone made her head spin.

"We'll figure it all out tomorrow," Amata promised, a little breathless as she mouthed at her neck.

"Yeah," Winter answered, "We should practise more."

"Good idea."


	11. Davika

Amata woke up dazed and confused. Lifting her head from Winter's shoulder, she heard a small rustling sound coming from above their heads. Winter didn't stir as Amata moved across her body and out of the bunk. Someone was rummaging through the top bunk where they kept their stuff, feverishly pawing through bags and pockets.

"Hey! Fuck off!" Amata shouted, slamming her palm against the wood of the bunk to startle them.

A teenage kid quickly jumped out, clearly startled and immediately fumbling for an excuse, "I was just looking for-"

"Don't give me that nonsense," she scolded, "If I see you rummaging through our stuff again, I'll report you to the Sheriff."

The kid scuttled off without another word. When she turned around, a pair of sleepy blue eyes peered at her from the bottom bunk, accompanied by a lazy smile.

"You sure showed him," Winter rasped.

"Shut up," she sighed, "Can you shuffle back? I don't wanna bump you."

Winter shuffled back and made room for Amata to lay down. They'd been sharing a bed for two nights now, and Amata didn't know how she could go back to sleeping alone. Winter slept like a brick, she barely moved and didn't make so much as a peep. She had fallen asleep drunk tonight though, which explained why she wasn't immediately on her feet trying to catch the would-be thief. They needed a house to themselves. Something small and well, _private_.

A deed to a house required full payment upfront, with the cheapest ones costing one thousand caps. Winter and Amata only had four hundred and eighty-nine to their name. Church was only paying fifty a week, and Winter was earning twenty in a job that she was about to quit anyway. It was more than enough for them to feed and clothe themselves, but after deducting all their expenses they still only had around fifteen caps saved at the end of the week. They needed some serious money, and the more Winter was planning the horse stealing job, the more it sounded like it made sense. In and out, super quick. One horse.

The plan was that Winter would steal the horse from a paddock, ride it for a few miles, then leave it tied up in a safe place with more than enough food and water until they would have to leave. Because they were going with Lucas, a sheriff, and Scout, a native of Davika, they decided it would be too difficult to explain the horse away as just something they "won" or "found". So, the final plan boiled down to Amata leaving at the end of the trip with Lucas and Scout, while Winter stayed behind a day for some bullshit reason, rode the horse to Arefu, and sold it there.

It was one horse, if Davika supplied the entirety of the Washington area, then how would they notice one silly horse missing? Still, Amata knew that Winter had a habit of overconfidence, just trusting that everything would be fine, then turning a blind eye and ignoring the signs that were telling her overwise.

They were leaving that morning, in only a few hours. They'd be on the road for a few days, and Amata was kind of looking forward to it. They'd be in a group of eight this time, and Lucas would be the one making the big decisions. Besides, Amata loved being out in the sun's warm glow, and she always liked looking up into the sky and getting a grasp of how massive the world was. Sure, there was the possible risk of getting into a fight and getting hurt or worse, but that was what the Megaton Sheriff's Department was for.

When they woke up in the morning, they went to the gate to meet with Lucas, Scout, a few of the other deputies, and Jacob. He sat on top of a two-horse wagon stuffed with tents and other supplies with his grip on the reins. His wound was still bandaged, and he had a scowl on his face when Winter approached him.

"How's the boo-boo, Jacob?" Winter asked.

"Just fine," he muttered.

"His pride is a little tender from how he acted when he got shot," Lucas explained to Amata quietly while she saddled up her horse.

To be brutally honest, Amata didn't give a shit. Her main priority was making sure Winter didn't die or get in a fight, whether or not Jacob's ego had been bruised was about as much of a concern to her as the unkempt hairs on her horse's head.

"You okay?" Winter asked, startling Amata as she approached on her horse.

"Yeah, just thinking."

"We'll have fun, I promise," Winter had her trademark goofy, lopsided grin, "I spoke to Scout, he said there was a huge market outside the main city we could go to."

"Yeah, maybe in the afternoon. I promised Church I would study the books he gave me while we were away."

"We'll find the time, you're an information sponge anyways, you'll only need to read the thing once to retain everything," she took off her blue ballcap and ran her hands through her already sweaty hair. Winter's black loose locks were thick enough, and when she ran her hand through them, they glistened in the early morning sun. As she combed her hair off her face and secured the hat back on her head, she looked back at Amata and laughed, "Don't melt in the saddle, there, 'Mata."

Amata hadn't realised she'd been staring and biting her lip. She could only mumble out an "um" before laughing at her own stupidity.

"You're fucking cute, you know that?" Winter grinned.

"Are you two ready to go?" Lucas called from the front.

"Yeah," Amata called back. The group started to move forward, but Amata leant over and whispered, "Does he know about us?"

Winter didn't seem to care too much, reaching into one of her saddlebags and searching for a dried-out piece of fruit to gnaw on while they rode, "I don't know. Probably, given that look you just gave me."

"Do you care?" Amata asked uneasily.

"'Course not, I fucking love it," she chuckled, "Let's go."

The road north was full of more plant life than Winter thought there would be. Ruined cars lay on the side of the road, moved years ago to make room for traders to move their wagons through.

"Alright, listen up," Lucas said, "If we're going to set you two loose in Davika you need to learn a little history. These are a bunch of patriotic motherfuckers, and you wandering around clueless to how they got here could earn you an earful out of a few crotchety old men. Scout is from Davika, aren't you, Scout?"

Scout only gave an awkward grunt in response.

"Tell them about Dave the 3rd, Scout. C'mon, it's a good story."

"Alright," Scout straightened up and cleared his throat, "Long ago, in the 22nd century, Dave the 3rd was living in a settlement just a few miles north of where Davika was today. It was a small ranching settlement, but they wanted to make money. Horses were extremely scarce; we didn't have a good supply of healthy mounts. Whenever they would venture out into Washington to trade or sell their crops, horses would come back injured or even die on the roads from predators or raiders.

"Dave's father, Dave the 2nd, was sure that his settlement would die out. But Dave the 3rd was more optimistic. He had heard stories from travellers from other states about a land full of horses, unharmed by the nuclear fallout and prime for all kinds of use. Ranch horses, war horses, whatever you could need. So, he set out with all the money that he had in the world and searched.

"His journey took years and took him all across the land formerly known as America until he found a land where the grass went up to his waist, where the water was pure straight from the source. All along the fields were hundreds of the most magnificent horses he had ever see. Their coats were glossy and healthy, their bodies strong and muscular. Dave the 3rd realised that he had stumbled across a new world named Eastern Virgin. People lived there, they hunted with bows and arrows and spears rather than a gun. Bullets weren't exactly plentiful."

"So, he finds out that they have something like five thousand horses, so he thinks to himself that if he can buy just two hundred, then that would be perfect. How much do two hundred horses cost? Well… the people look at his money and frown. They don't have money; they just trade. Dave the 3rd doesn't have anything to trade. He's only one man on a horse with dwindling supplies. What should he do? He shouldn't steal them, that would be suicide, and immoral. Besides, how is he going to get two hundred horses back to Washington DC all by himself? He would need them to come back with him. The tribe that he spoke to were a warrior tribe, and the land they lived in was meek at best. So, he found something to trade.

"He promised them a foreign land many miles away, teeming with lawlessness and freedom. He told stories of tall concrete towers that man and woman could rule over, taller than any shelter or tree they had ever seen. There were other strange people they could hunt and fight. It takes a few months of convincing, but through his words, and words alone, the tribe agrees and Dave the 3rd is on his way back to Washington with five hundred horses and an additional two hundred people with him. After five years from home, he arrives to find his settlement barely intact. His father is ecstatic to see him and cannot believe the bounty he has returned with. They take the horses and the men and build a settlement where Davika stands today.

"Now Davika is the biggest single settlement in Washington. They have over 15,000 horses and cattle which we sell to the BoS in other states and territories, including this one. We have the best horses in the world. The best bred, the best fed, the best trained, with the best equipment. Every single horse we have here is a Davika horse, and not one of you has a bad word to say about them."

"My horse is a dick," Winter muttered. It _had_ been a little jittery on the ride.

"Winter," Amata scolded.

"And what happened to the people Dave the 3rd brought home with him, Scout?" Lucas asked.

"Oh," Scout hesitated, "Well... they... well, most of them left after a while to form their own groups."

"Raiders is the word you're looking for," the sheriff dryly suggested, "Still causing trouble to this day. They even own the biggest slave camp in the Washington DC area, just a day's ride off from Davika."

"Now, if you want to talk about the culture…" the pride in Scout's voice crumbled into sadness, "Right around Davika the 10th, everybody started getting a bit too big for their boots. People didn't like the idea of the BoS showing up and covering Washington DC in a security blanket, some people like the wild, non-military way of doing things. Sure, Davika is ruled by one guy who has a council of advisors, but he isn't an asshole ruler who wants everybody to become a 'yessir no sir' puppet."

"So, they aren't fans of the military outpost that the BoS has up here," Lucas added.

"Exactly. So nowadays, especially with the BoS moving their way from the east to the west of Washington, nobody really likes the whole take over thing and instead would prefer their own system of government. Davika citizens pay taxes to help their own land, BoS citizens pay taxes to support other people in different parts of whatever is left of America... if you believe in the Enclave thing."

"Okay, finally. I want to put it to bed. What's the 'Enclave' thing?" Amata asked, "People are treating it like a fucking boogieman."

"You can't hear it in Megaton because the signal doesn't reach that far, but there's a radio station up north called Enclave Radio," Scout explained, "Guy who runs it calls himself the President, his name is John Henry Eden. He talks about the way America used to be. By the people, for the people. This whole idea of grouping together as one and being the greatest country in the world."

"But they won't play with the BoS?"

"The BoS is more about doing their own thing," he seemed to shift a little irritably in his saddle, "Like… they just showed up and constructed Eight Miles Out; they didn't even ask us."

"Ah so it's a pride thing," Winter pointed out, a little too sarcastically.

"You'd fit in well then," Amata teased under her breath.

Winter reached over and whacked the brim of Amata's ballcap down playfully, "You're one to talk."

"Oh please, my ego shies when brought up to yours," she teased, fixing her hat and tossing a handful of nut shells at her.

"Hey! Don't make me have to bind your wrists together," Lucas warned.

They continued riding until dusk, where they had to set up camp. It was cold tonight, with harsh winds whipping at their faces as they worked to put up tents.

"Oh, thank god," Scout groaned as he examined the ingredients Lucas had approved, "I haven't had a decent meal in three days."

"Why?" Winter frowned.

Scout looked at her like she was an idiot, "Crops weren't too good this year. Food is scarce."

"Really? One of the BoS soldiers I spoke to said I would be able to put on some weight no problem."

"Yeah well…the BoS isn't exactly clued in to our food situation this far west."

"Shit."

"We get a lot of our food from Davika," Lucas added, "Our crops only do so well with the bad water we have. Davika has a few half decent water supplies, and they have the land to farm."

"We don't?"

"We do, but they aren't raided as much as we are."

"I thought you said that there's a huge slave farm there."

"There absolutely is," Lucas agreed, "You'd think they would be raided all the time, or that Davika's large militia of over a thousand men would be able to ride in a wipe it out, but instead they have a contract. Davika gives a portion of its food to the slavers in Paradise Falls, in exchange, they aren't bothered. Everybody wins, so long as you aren't the poor bastard in chains."

They finished dinner in an uncomfortable silence. The cold was getting too much to handle, so Winter and Amata said goodnight and retreated to their tent.

"This place sounds fucked," Winter muttered.

"Yeah no shit," Amata wrapped herself up in a blanket and rummaged through her bag. She found one of the books Church gave her and started to read.

"Here," Winter fished a beanie out from her own bag and put it on top of Amata's head, fixing it to it covered her ears and kissing her cheek.

"You're sweet," Amata smiled.

"I try," she shrugged before burrowing into her own blankets, "I'm gonna crash. Don't stay up too late, okay?"

"I won't."

/

When Winter woke up in the morning, she could hear people moving around outside. Rubbing her face, she rolled over and checked on Amata. She was dead to the world, curled up tightly in a ball with her book resting open and across her face. The sight was adorable, but she needed to wake her up. Slowly taking the book off, she bookmarked the page and gently shook her awake.

"Hey," she whispered urgently, "C'mon. Something's happening outside."

She left Amata to get up while she untangled herself from the blankets and buckled the belt with her revolver attached. Emerging from the tent, she found Lucas by the dying fire drinking coffee.

"What's going on?"

Lucas wordlessly pointed over Winter's shoulder. A thick ploom of smoke was drifting up to the sky, however, the source of it was masked behind a large hill.

"Whoa! When did that happen?"

"Around a half hour ago we saw the smoke."

"Is that Davika?"

"No," he answered immediately, "It's a junkyard around a mile away. Is Amata awake?"

"Yeah. What's a junkyard?"

"A place where they store rusted out metal. If it's the one I think it is, it's a small trading post. Amata!" Lucas yelled, "Hurry up! We're leaving!"

Amata exploded from the tent as she tried to jump into her boots, "Just lemmie tie my shoes."

Lucas ordered Jacob and another deputy to stay behind and guard the camp while the rest of the group mounted up. Amata barely had her boots on before she was on horseback and chasing after the rest of them. They rode hard towards the top of the hill before coming to an abrupt stop at the bottom of it.

"Alright, Daniels and Scout," Lucas ordered, "I want you to have a look around, see what's happened."

"Okay." Scout acknowledged.

"Here," Lucas handed him a handheld radio, "Use this, tell us what you see."

"You've got it."

"Oh yeah, no 'yessir no sir' about you," Winter smirked as they both started up the hill.

"I grew up with it, doesn't mean I agree with it," Scout shrugged.

"Do you miss it?"

"I miss my family… just… You have your friends, and around your friends is an ocean of dickheads, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah."

They approached the hill from the camp and dismounted.

"See that tower in the distance?" he pointed out as Winter grabbed her binoculars, "That's Eight Miles Outpost."

"The BoS base?"

"Yeah. They should have a scouting party coming to check it out. If they do come, your hands need to be high in the air and your gun on the ground."

"I know, I've dealt with it before. They're a jumpy group."

"Yeah, no shit," he peered through his binoculars at the burning junkyard, "Looks like a standard raider hit and run. They should be gone by now."

Scout brought the radio to his lips, "It's looking fine so far. Daniels and I are gonna advance, see if there are any survivors."

"We're bringing up the rear, be careful," Lucas responded.

"I can smell burning flesh," Scout told Winter as they approached, "Be careful."

Rounding the corner into the junkyard Winter was confronted by nothing but gore. The wide alleys between crushed cars were congested with dead bodies in various levels of decimation. Blood stained the sand, and gunpowder and smoke choked the air. Bullet casings rattled and crushed underneath Winter's boots as she advanced forward, rifle at the ready in case something moved. Moving between the alleyways, she finally came to a dead stop when she heard a distant whimpering sound. Hugging along a wall of crushed metal, she moved towards the noise and found the cause partially hidden underneath a wagon.

It was a dog, lying in a pool of its own blood and struggling to move.

"Ah you poor pup," Winter knelt beside it and gave a slow, gentle pat as it lay dying.

"Shit," Scout tutted, "Okay... you have to put it down."

"What?!"

"Well it isn't going to live," he pointed out defensively, "Use your knife... it'll be faster for it that way."

Scout left without another word to scout more of the area. Winter drew her knife and hesitated for a moment before sliding it in and finishing the dog off. The tension from the dog's muscles and tendons as the blade went in made Winter sick. The dog whimpered and gave one final struggle before finally settling and exhaling its final breath.

"I'm sorry," Winter whispered, "I'm so, so sorry."

But the whimpering hadn't stopped. Something quieter was crying out beneath it, just underneath the dog's neck. Winter slowly lifted the soft fur of the dog's neck upward and revealed a small puppy.

"Oh hey," she soothed, gently pulling the puppy out from underneath the dead dog and cradling it, "Hey little fella."

The puppy was stained lightly in blood and was shaking in her grasp. She sat down properly on the dirt and cradled him close as Amata and the others approached and dismounted. He was small, around the length of her forearm, with black floppy ears, a little button nose, and a big pair of frightened brown eyes. She looked across at the dead dog and sighed in dismay at the its swollen teats.

"I'm really sorry, little man," she got to her feet and turned her back as if to shield the baby from viewing his mother's remains.

"Oh honey," Amata cooed at the puppy when she got close enough, "Oh no."

"I know," Winter began to slowly pat his head, "Look at the little guy…"

Amata lifted her gaze from the puppy and seemed to peer into Winter's eyes.

"We can't keep him," Amata sighed, "We have nowhere to put him."

"We won't keep him, but we can't leave him here."

Amata groaned, "I know how this goes, this is like that time with the stack of comics you found."

"Look at him," Winter beamed, "Look at his cute little face."

"We'll take him with us back to Megaton; then we'll find someone who can take care of him."

"Fine," she pouted.

"Did you find anybody alive?" Lucas asked Scout as he emerged from another alley.

"No," he answered, "If nobody's dead then they're probably on their way to Paradise Falls for processing."

Lucas gave a hard grunt, "Okay. Everybody mount up, we're tearing down the camp and moving for Davika. Now."

The deputies packed up and rolled out.

"One survivor, huh?" Lucas approached and scratched behind the puppy's ear.

"Yeah... I'm gonna hold onto him, at least for a little while."

Lucas gave a small smirk to Amata, who could only shrug, "You try convincing her otherwise."

"Not even going to bother," he smirked, "Winter, empty that canvas sack on your horse that's full of apples, put them in the empty one on my saddle. Put the dog in that."

"Awesome," she took off and transferred the apples and put the pup in the sack.

/

Their camp was already partially dismantled when they arrived. All Winter and Amata had to do were help haul the last of the tents into the wagon before they were making a bee-line for Davika. Their horses never went slower than a trot, and everybody had their heads on a swivel. They rode hard for hours until Lucas finally ground to a stop.

"Hold up," Lucas ordered.

A group of men wearing dark red uniforms were riding at them at a canter-pace. One man was riding while holding a flagpole. On the flag was the black silhouette of a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and was breaking a bucking horse across a red background. The man leading the group was one of the fattest men Winter had ever seen. He was spilling out of his uniform, and he looked like one flex away from ripping the fabric. Despite how big he looked from a distance, his greasy, acne scarred face only put him at about sixteen or seventeen. Winter could sympathise, she had a bit of acne when she was a kid, the heat would be terrible with it. His poor horse was almost swallowed up by his hammy, sweat-stained legs.

"You don't have a reason to complain now, asshole," Winter muttered to her horse.

The horse only jerked his head backward in protest.

"Halt!" the fat man barked, "What's your business here?"

Lucas gave a quiet, impatient sigh before moving his horse forward, "My name's Lucas Simms, I'm with the Megaton Sheriff's Department."

The man gave a gross, phlegmy snort, "Did you get lost?"

"No, I'm here to speak to Dave O'Connor the 13th.?"

"Why?"

"I want to discuss our trade agreement with him."

Fatass raised his chin in a smug smirk that only made his dimply cheeks blossom outward, "My father's busy looking after the Republic. You'll have to wait."

Amata trotted up to her and checked on the puppy while the guy was talking.

"Has he eaten lately?" she asked.

"Yeah, I fed him a while ago."

"Excuse me-" he boomed at them, "I'm talking."

"Not to me, asshole," Winter replied. The response was purely instinct, but the look Lucas gave her sent ice running through her veins.

"What did you just call me?"

"She's not a representative of the country, she's just someone we hired to come along with us," Lucas interrupted, physically putting himself and his horse in-between Winter and Dave's son.

"I'll let you inside Davika's inner walls if I have the dog," he said.

"Nope," Winter clucked.

"Winter, give him the dog," Lucas sighed.

"No," she answered again.

Fatass the 14th's face went a deep shade of red as he held out his hand, "Give me. The dog."

"Do you need to hear me say no a third or fourth time?"

"Lucas, come on," Amata sighed, "Don't let him take the puppy."

"Entrance into Davika comes at the price of a puppy."

"The dog isn't my property," Lucas said, "I cannot confiscate it. It's the property of Winter Daniels."

"Fine," he smiled, "I'll be happy for all members of the Megaton Sheriff's Department to be accommodated in our Leadership building. The finest beds, food, and comfort, for all. Anybody who is not a member of the Department is welcome to camp outside the city walls. I hear it's going to rain tonight, so I'd set up camp quickly."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Lucas nodded, "Scout, set up camp with Winter. Everyone else, let's move out."

"Son of a bitch," Winter muttered.

"God damn you, Winter," Amata scowled, "I was looking forward to a hot bath."

"Go, he didn't say you were excluded, he doesn't know you aren't a member."

"Yeah, but it won't be the same without you," she bit her lip and shook her head angrily.

"What did you want me to do? Give him the dog?"

"You were the one calling him an asshole," Amata pointed out angrily, "Next time just say 'sorry'."

"But I didn't need to be sorry; he was being an asshole."

"We're here on a diplomatic mission, Winter," Amata grunted, "How many diplomatic missions end well when they start by the begging party calling the other an asshole?"

"Probably not a lot."

"I'm gonna go up to the hotel to get some good food. I'll try and sneak some food out to you."

"Try and sneak me in."

"No, I'm not risking pissing off Lucas even more."

"I'm sorry."

"Get your shit together, Winter. Please."

/

Winter helped Scout set up camp and look after their horses while the puppy slept in a sack she had slung across her waist. Even though they were a few miles out from the main city, the roads were packed with people, almost all of them on horseback. In the distance, she saw a huge fenced off area filled with horses. After camp was set up, she rode closer to the paddock and observed it. Nobody was around the fence, no guards, no patrols. This would be easy money. She went back into her tent to feed the dog and tried to think of a suitable name when she heard footsteps approaching.

"Knock knock," Amata called from outside.

"Yeah?"

Amata opened the canvas flap and crawled inside, "I brought food."

"Thanks. How's the hotel room?"

"I was really kind of hoping we'd have some time to finally be… you know… alone," Amata murmured so quietly it was barely louder than a whisper. She brought out two sets of knives and forks and handed her a plate. The food was good. A nice rump steak with fresh veggies and a nice bread roll. As she ate, Winter felt it was more than she deserved.

"I'm sorry," Winter muttered after a while.

"I know."

"You wanna head out, go into town? That dickhead banned me from the hotel; he didn't ban me from the markets."

That made Amata perk up, "Alright! You're buying me a snack, though."

"For forgiveness?"

"You bet. Forgiveness snacks are the best snacks."

The markets in Davika came alive at night. Lanterns hanging over each stall bathed the area in a warm, golden glow, and a band was playing blues music on a wooden podium at the end of the market. As the crowds thickened, Amata reached across and gripped her hand. The small act of affection was more than enough for her to ignore the frustration of being left out in the dark for the night. Amata led them both through the winding crowds and finally stopped at a small stall for art supplies.

"You wanna try drawing again?" Winter asked.

"Maybe," she pondered, examining a drawing pencil that belonged in a box of five, "It kind of reminds me of the Vault, though."

"Then draw something out here that you like. Draw the puppy."

"Yeah," she grinned when Winter kissed her cheek.

"C'mon, I'll buy you a set. How much for the set?"

"Five caps."

"Easy," Winter handed the caps over and adored the happy grin Amata gave her.

"Thank you," she smiled before kissing her lips, "I'll buy you something."

They roamed through the stalls for a while longer. It was mostly odds and ends for houses. Like dishes, art, rugs, that sort of thing. It made both of them wish they did have a home to go to, but they both didn't bring it up. There was no point, not until they had enough money.

"Oh look!" Winter stopped dead in her tracks, making Amata stumble to a halt when the hand she was holding stopped its momentum.

Winter let go of her hand and looked at a display shelf containing dog collars.

"Remember when I said we weren't going to keep him?" It was Amata's turn to test her limits this time, wrapping both arms around her abdomen and cuddling her while Winter sorted through the collars.

"Yeah I'm working on convincing you otherwise," Winter pondered. She drew out a small, navy blue collar that looked like his size, "Here, look."

"It's a pretty colour," Amata murmured, "Same colour as your eyes."

"They're good quality," the woman selling the collar explained, "You're buying for a puppy?"

"Yeah."

"If you buy an adult collar, I'll throw in the puppy one for free."

"What a deal." Winter beamed.

"Fine," Amata sighed, resigning herself to the fact that the dog was almost certainly theirs now. She paid for the collars and while they stopped to get some chocolate and a beer, noticed a large crowd of people shuffling in one direction with an excited buzz in the air. Naturally, Winter and Amata followed them to a tall stage, high above the market stalls and directly next to the band, who had stopped playing.

"Holy shit, Winter," Amata gasped, "That's a fucking gallows."

Amata was right. A man with trembling knees was standing on the gallows with a noose around his neck while another man, dressed in a suit and a wide-brimmed hat, was yelling at the crowd about loyalty, honour, and respect. It was hard to pay attention to any of what he was saying when the man beside him was pissing and shitting himself while screaming into a gag.

"What did he do?" Amata asked one of the bystanders.

"He stole a horse," she shrugged helplessly as the man dropped. His neck made a sickening snap that almost made Amata retch, but it was the twitching, jerking movements the man-made that made it all the more horrifying.

"You are not stealing a horse," she whispered to Winter, who looked just as unsettled as she was.

"I'm sure it's-"

"No," she hissed, "I would rather spend the rest of my life in the Common Room than see that happen to you. Dying in combat is one thing, getting hanged is another."

"He isn't even dead yet," Winter realised, "His legs are still kicking."

"Promise me."

"I swear, I won't steal a horse."

"No horses, no Brahmin, no goddamn saddles, not even a stirrup. Nothing."

"Cross my heart," Winter turned back to smile at her.

"Let's go back to the tent," Amata gripped her hand again, "We'll give the dog his collar… and come up with a name for him."

"That's a good idea."

So, they abandoned the markets and headed back. Arriving back at camp, they immediately knew something was wrong when Scout was running at them.

"What?" Winter yelled, drawing her revolver but keeping it at her side, "What's wrong?"

"Some assholes came and tried to take the dog!"

"What?! Where is he?!"

"He's right here," Scout unslung the sack from his shoulder and pushed the puppy into Winter's arms.

"Hey, hey you poor little guy," Winter cooed, "You're okay? Scout, you okay?"

"I'm fine. I told them you had him, dumbasses believed it."

"That fat fuck wants my dog," Winter growled, "For spite! What do we do?"

"Nothing," Scout answered without hesitation, "We don't do anything. If you go running around wanting revenge, you're gonna get arrested, especially if you start threatening Dave the 14th."

"He's right, Winter."

"I'm gonna fucking beat his ass."

"No- no," Amata reached up and gripped Winter's cheeks with her hands, "Look at me. Look at me."

Winter looked back at her with angry, almost embarrassed eyes.

"He's trying to trick you," she explained patiently, "He wants to get you in trouble. We'll go back into the tent, put the dog between us, and guard him through the night. Right?"

"Yeah," she nodded. Amata nodded in affirmation before reaching up and gently pecking her forehead, "Let's go to bed."

"What about your comfy hotel room?"

"Too rich for my blood," Amata shrugged, "Besides, you're comfy to sleep next to."

"Sleep on, you mean."

"You're complaining?" Amata asked.

"Nah, not at all."


	12. Letters From Dad

"Winter and Amata! Get up!" Lucas shouted.

Winter jerked awake and lifted her head up off the pillow. Amata was already awake and reading, she seemed to find Winter's violent awakening funny.

"Morning, sunshine," she greeted her warmly.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Winter yawned while searching for her discarded jacket and belt.

"I think so…" she pondered.

"I didn't keep you awake?"

"Nah, slept like the dead," Amata pecked her cheek and got up to squirm into her pants, "I was thinking of baby names last night."

"What?"

"For the dog," Amata joked, gesturing to the dog as he gnawed on a stick, "How about Coby?"

"Doesn't really strike fear into the heart of the enemy."

"Killer, then. He's a sweet little boy though, he won't hurt anybody."

"I'm kidding," Winter tied her boots, "Um… Yeah, Coby sounds good."

"You don't like it?"

"I do, baby I just woke up, give me a minute."

A small, happy laugh escaped Amata's lips and she shuffled forward a bit, so she was almost, not quite, sitting on Winter's lap.

"What?" Winter smirked.

"You called me baby."

"Oh shit, I did, didn't I? Too goofy?"

Amata answered by pushing Winter's bent knee down so it was straight and climbing into her lap. Even after countless times, Winter's heart still pounded when Amata leant forward to kiss her, and it took a few seconds for her to get her bearings. Her hands roamed to her hips, then as Amata shifted closer and nudged her tongue against Winter's bottom lip, she moved her hand up through her shirt. Amata gave a small moan of encouragement. She moved her hand slowly upward, meaning to both tease her and give her room to tap out before her fingers brushed the bottom of her breast.

"Hey," Lucas yelled.

"We'll be out in a minute!" Winter yelled. Amata didn't seem to care, she reached up and tangled her hands in Winter's scruffy black locks while winding her legs around her back.

"Now!"

"Fucking fuck…" Winter muttered.

A sudden burst of light flooded the tent. Both of them froze completely in place, Amata's fingers woven through Winter's hair and Winter's hand up Amata's shirt.

"Hey," was all Winter could think to mutter at Lucas as she slipped her hand out of her shirt.

Lucas stammered a bit before he found his vocal footing, "Oh. Um… yeah… just… I need to talk to you. Now."

"Yeah uh…," Winter nodded. She couldn't help but smile when Amata buried her head against Winter's shoulder in embarrassment, "We'll be out in a second."

Lucas left without another word, closing the tent flaps and leaving them to stew in their own embarrassment.

"I want to die," Amata whimpered.

Winter laughed and nudged Amata to get her to move, "It's not that bad."

"My tongue was in your mouth," Amata whined quietly.

"Baby, you have to get off my lap," Winter urged, "My leg's falling asleep."

They emerged from the tent properly dressed with everybody but Lucas awkwardly doing anything else but looking at them.

"The fuck is the matter with you?" Lucas scolded Winter.

"What?"

"With Dave the 14th yesterday, you almost made this entire trip a gigantic waste of time."

"Did we reach a deal?" Amata asked.

"We did. Dave the 14th is coming to give us a revised invoice at lunch. I expect you both to be out of sight before then."

"What did I do?" Amata protested.

"You did nothing, but you're her handler," Lucas gestured impatiently.

"Look, I'm sorry," Winter raised her hands in protest, "The guy was acting like an asshole from the get-go and it got on my nerves."

"That isn't an excuse. You're an adult now, you have to learn to let some stuff go."

"Why is it always me that has to let things go, why can't we just address the asshole in the room and get them to acknowledge they're a cunt?"

"Because the world doesn't work that way, Winter," Lucas yelled, "I don't have money tucked away in Megaton's budget for when you feel like arguing with important officials! Winter, have you ever heard the expression, where if you run into one asshole during your day, you met an asshole, but if everybody you run into is an asshole, then maybe the asshole is you?"

"I'm familiar with it."

"Then think about it. Grow up and- ah goddammit."

"Good morning!" Dave the 14th greeted from horseback as he approached the camp.

"Get the dog and hide it," Winter muttered to Amata.

"The dog is fine, behave yourself," Amata murmured back.

"Sleep well?" Dave asked Winter as he clumsily dismounted.

"Just fine," Winter crossed her arms and looked away.

"Splendid," he turned his attention to Lucas and handed him an envelope, "This is the invoice my father drew up last night. It's adjusted to meet the agreement you two reached over dinner."

"Thank you," Lucas nodded. As Lucas opened the envelope to look through the invoice, the puppy poked his head out from the tent and pranced out to lie at Winter's feet.

"How's the dog?" Dave asked her.

"The dog is fine," she answered, taking a step forward so she stood in front of the dog.

"He's a beautiful breed," he smiled, "Is he for sale?"

"Absolutely not."

"Easy, Winter," Amata whispered.

He took another step forward, and Winter's hand moved down to her revolver. Like a bolt of lightning, Amata's hands jerked out and captured the hand in hers, pulling so it rested at Amata's stomach.

"I hear salad is cheaper."

Dave went beet red once more.

"I'd be careful if I were you," he reached down and ruffled the dog's fur, "Some people pay good money for dog meat."

"The invoice is according to what we discussed," Lucas agreed, "I appreciate the hospitality. We look forward to working with you in the future."

"Yeah, likewise," he mumbled, "If there was nothing else…?"

"Nothing else," he shook the 14th's hand.

"We'll call him Dogmeat?" Winter asked as the 14th rode away.

"Dogmeat," Amata agreed.

"Dogmeat? That's the name you're going to give an innocent, adorable creature?" Lucas laughed in disbelief.

"Well my name is Winter, and I got on in life just fine."

"'Just fine', you almost murdered a man over a dog."

"I wasn't gonna _draw_ my revolver, I just wanted to hold it for a while. It's not like one tiny bullet would kill him!"

"Alright, well if you're done cuddling your sidearm, we're gonna dismantle the camp and go home. Amata, _that's_ what I meant about you being her handler. Good job."

Amata didn't say thank you, but she was visibly relieved when Winter turned to look at her before leaving to get everything out of their tent.

"Dogmeat," Amata beamed, scooping the pup up and kissing his black ears, "How big're you gonna be?"

"When we get home, we'll be able to feed him a little better."

"Where are we going to keep him?"

"In an empty duffle bag, while he's asleep at least. We should have a house in a few days. I'm sure I can think of another way to get five hundred caps in a few days."

"Try not to do anything illegal, please," Amata sighed, "After seeing that guy hang, I think we can both agree a life of crime isn't for us."

"I wasn't going to earn a living off crime and murder," Winter protested, "Just one horsey."

"Don't dress it up as being cute."

"That's how I get away with shit, though."

"Yeah, with me. You wanna try being cute with Dave the 14th then be my guest."

Winter faked retching, hauling their blankets and pillows to the wagon for Jacob to store.

They packed their things and headed back to Megaton. When they did arrive back home, Amata and Winter ditched their horses and went back to the Common Room.

"I'll figure out a way to make five hundred caps," Winter promised, "You just focus on your book learnin'."

"Don't patronise it," Amata groaned, "It's important to me."

"I know, I'm sorry. How're we going to- "

"Hey!" Maggie shouted, "No fucking dogs in my Common Room!"

"I'm holding him for somebody," Winter protested.

"Don't give a shit. No dogs."

"One day? Please? We'll have a home for him in one day. Look at him," Amata picked him up out of the bag and showed her.

"Fine. But, if I find him in here after tomorrow night, he's dog meat, understand?"

"Yeah," Amata nodded, hiding her smile beneath Dogmeat's fur as she nuzzled him.

"God damn it, Amata," Winter sighed.

"What?"

"Now I only have a day."

"You're creative. Think of something. Is there anything we can sell?"

"I have some tools from the Vault still."

"Then sell them."

"No," she frowned, "They're in great condition, I might need them later."

"Alright then, pound the pavement. Find something to sell or do what you're good at."

"Which is…?"

"Fighting, swearing," Amata yawned, lying down on Winter's bunk and pulling out a book from her bag, "Arguing, making out, but that one isn't allowed, obviously. What else… shooting! There you go, you're a good shot!"

"Oh boy howdy I'll just mosey on down to the town square and sign myself up for a rootin' tootin' cowboy shootin' contest!"

Amata chuckled, "Well you're good at fixing things. C'mon, Winter, think."

"I'm gonna go get a drink," Winter decided.

"Can I come?"

"Well, yeah. You're carrying Dogmeat though. He'll get stolen for sure if we keep him here."

"Alright. I'm only around for one drink, though. Then I've gotta study."

"Uh huh."

"C'mere baby," Amata cooed, hoisting the dog bag up and draping the strap around her chest, "Maybe you can help in the bar?"

"Won't be enough, not five hundred caps worth."

"Ask someone to borrow some money. Gob or Nova."

"I'm not asking Nova for money."

"Fair enough. We'll think of a plan when we get there, I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, all the best decisions are made when you're drunk."

"Yeah well… we'll see."

/

"Oh! Thank god I ran into you!" Nova gasped.

"Hey, Nova," Winter greeted, grunting as she hopped onto a bar stool.

"Hey yourself," she smiled before her expression snapped to surprise, "Uh… yeah! Okay, I have a letter from your Dad in my room. Hang on, I'll get it."

"What?"

"Yeah hang on I'll be right back."

"Why the fuck does Nova have a letter from Dad?" Winter asked Amata when she perched herself up beside her.

"Maybe he slept with her."

Winter visibly shuddered. She bought them both a beer in time for Nova to run down and slap the letter on the bar.

"How did you get this?"

"He came in two days ago and asked for you. I said you were out of town. He got all shitty and scribbled down this letter and told me to tell you not to follow him. Your Dad's a dick."

"Yeah you're telling me," she rubbed her tired eyes before picking the envelope up.

"Just take a deep breath before reading it, okay?" Amata rubbed her leg and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek, "I'm here."

"This is already opened," Winter pointed out to Nova.

"I got bored."

"Nova!" Winter and Amata scolded in unison.

"Hey well… I don't know… maybe you shouldn't read it."

"No, I've gotta," she muttered as she unfolded the letter and began to read, "He might have information about Mom in here."

 _Winter,_

 _I hope this letter finds you safe and well. I rode many miles to see you in Megaton after hearing news about your behaviour at Galaxy News Radio and getting your location from Three Dog, so you can imagine my disappointment to find you missing and off on some adventure in the north._

 _The reason for my letter is simple. I do_ not _want you to follow me. However it was you managed to escape from the Vault, I do not want you following me until I send for you. You're to stay put in Megaton and help the gentleman with his water purifier. If you had taken the time to read and comprehend the letter Jonas gave you, you would understand how dangerous this place is. Your presence in Washington DC has already caused enough wasted time that I would rather spend with my plans, I don't need any more delays._

 _I spoke to your lover, however delightful a conversation that was. Somehow, despite your previous behaviours I never imagined you would sink to the depravity of laying with a prostitute, but you continue to surprise me._

 _If my opinion of you is of no value, think of your mother before you proceed with this life you have chosen for yourself. Gunslinging and whoring are not what she planned for you. She wanted you to be kind, intelligent, and noble. So far, you can gauge your own performance under that criteria by yourself, I believe._

 _I'm assuming you know by now that you weren't born in the Vault, and you may have a less than pleasant opinion of me along with many questions, but now is not the time for them. My reasons for hiding your true birth place are my own. Chasing me while surrounding your judgement in a cloud of revenge, bitterness and curiosity will only earn you disappointment, hurt, and premature death if you aren't careful around those you don't know. Stay in Megaton, build a life for yourself, I will find you when I am ready._

 _Please stay safe and healthy. I don't want to have to bury you._

 _Your father,_

 _James Daniels_

"Jesus fucking Christ," Winter tossed the letter aside and snatched a shot of whiskey that Nova had just poured, "Nova, get me drunk."

"Yep," she immediately nodded, immediately diving under the bar in search of more alcohol.

Amata had snatched the letter from the table and was scanning it, "Instructions? What fucking instructions?"

"I don't fucking know!" Winter yelled, "Jonas was too dead to deliver them to me. Fuck it. Fuck him, fuck whatever he's doing out here. I'm done. I'm fucking _done_. If I ever see him again, I'm beating him half to death."

"You gonna calm her down?" Nova asked Amata, "Seeing as that's your job now?"

"Nope, when she's done beating him to death, I'm gonna finish the job."

"Hey!" Moriarty shouted from the bar, "I thought you were banned?"

"Leave it alone, Moriarty," Nova argued, "She's paid for everything."

"Yeah well no goddamn dogs!" he shouted.

"I've had my beer," Amata shrugged, "I'm gonna head home and try to study. Are you coming?"

"No, I'm gonna keep looking for work. God, he's a fucking asshole…"

"Okay. I know you're pissed but _please_ try and keep a cool head. Don't break anything or shoot anybody. The minute you need me, I'm here, okay? I'll be right at the Common Room if you need me."

"Alright," Winter pecked her lips, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay."

"Ah you read the letter from your Papa, didn't you?" Moriarty smiled as Winter watched Amata leave with Dogmeat.

"Nova," Winter groaned.

"I couldn't help it, I left it on the bar to pour a customer a drink, and like a fucking vulture he swooped in and picked it up."

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer lass, but in hindsight, I see where you get your temper from."

"I'm handling her, Moriarty," Nova promised, "any trouble she gets into will be on me."

"Fair enough," he piped.

"So, what's this about finding work?" Nova asked, pouring her another shot.

"Look, I know that things are… weird… but I need some money. Is there anything you can think of, anything at all, that would get me five hundred caps by tomorrow night?"

A smirk played on Nova's face, "Well if you're willing to do anything then- "

"Nothing sexual!" Winter insisted.

"I'm just saying, even if you just banged women, a pretty thing like you could earn five hundred easy. Anyways… you aren't a robber or a criminal. Those baby blue eyes wouldn't intimidate a puppy dog… I'd just say to apply for a loan."

Winter dragged a hand across the side of her face and sighed, "Maybe. I just don't really want to be tied down paying off a debt that huge."

"Yeah well, at least you'll have a house of your own, not shacking up with assholes and degenerates. Listen, I'll leave the bottle with you, I've gotta check on somebody, okay? I'll be back in half an hour. Stay out of trouble."

"Alright. How much for the bottle?"

"We'll call it fifteen."

"I've got it."

Winter glanced behind her in time to see a man in a white striped business suit sitting down beside her. His suit was pristine with barely a speck of dust on it, his shoes were so shiny they gleamed underneath the lighting and the fedora he wore on his head looked freshly made. He reeked of cologne, and his tiny glasses magnified a pair of cloudy blue eyes.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Fine, how are you?"

"I'm doing well. Forgive my eavesdropping, but I heard you were looking to make some money?"

"Yeah look I'm not one of the girls here, buddy. Thanks for the compliment though."

"Of course you aren't, I'm not looking for anything like that. You're hardened, you have a reliable look in your eyes," he glanced around the crowded bar, "And I know you're willing to get your hands dirty."

"I might be."

"How would you like to help me with a little project my boss has assigned me?"

"What kind of project?"

"Dangerous work, deadly in fact. Payment on completion is five thousand caps."

"Five thou- " she sputtered before clearing her throat, "Five fucking thousand? What's the job?"

"Do you like it here… what was your name?"

"Winter," she answered.

"Burke. Do you like it here in Megaton? Do you think this backwater town is the best place you can be?"

"Probably not."

"Exactly. You're ambitious, I can tell."

"What're you selling me, man?"

"I'm selling you an opportunity. The American Dream, if you believe in that kind of thing. Our ancestors built a strong future on the bones of the weak, or else we wouldn't be here today."

"Okay…"

"Have you ever been to Tenpenny Tower?"

"Can't say that I have."

"You should make the trek, especially after this job is completed. My employer, Mr Allistair Tenpenny, he's a man of resources. He's strong-willed, just as ambitious as you or me. He's something to strive towards. See, he wants to make Tenpenny Tower and its surrounding area into a luxury destination. A spectacular gated community, not as insane and quarrelsome as New Vegas is out west. Think of the money involved, the ways it can benefit this hard, desolate, desperate landscape, and you're going to be a central part in making this happen."

"Just- what do you want?"

"I want you to detonate the atomic bomb in the town square."

"I'm sorry, what?" Winter leant forward. Surely she'd heard him wrong.

"The town of Megaton is… rustic, at best. Sometimes literally. I'd be amazed if I don't walk out of here with tetanus. Overlooking Tenpenny tower you can see the beautiful body of Washington DC and, protruding upward like a suspicious mole, is Megaton. It needs to be wiped off the map if this place is going to bring in money."

"Are you fucking insane?" Winter whispered, "Are you _out of your goddamned mind_?"

"All I need for you to do is follow these instructions," he nudged a box across the bar and against Winter's arm, "You strap the remote receiver to the bomb, a child could do it, then to Tenpenny Tower, you'll collect your payment, the town will be destroyed while you and your loved ones are safe from harm, and that will be it."

"Look… I… hell I don't even know what to say."

"Look. Like that-" Burke snapped his fingers, "None of them will even know what happened. One nanosecond, a blink. They won't feel a thing. Think of it as a mercy. Look at these people, miserable, all of them. And look at you, do you honestly think that they're a worthy obstruction to your happiness? To _five thousand caps_? You'd never have to work a day more in your life. You tuck the money away someplace safe, live off the land or come and work for me, you get a job, work your way up and you buy a penthouse. Think about this: they're going to starve anyway. You can't see it in Megaton, but these people that can't afford to live in cities like these are starving. There isn't enough food, there aren't enough resources. Those technology obsessed morons in the Brotherhood will only care about them so long as they're willing to pick up a gun and fight with them. Some will have to die for the others to thrive, and people _will_ die eventually if no more money comes into this area. You're helping more people than you're harming."

"You're out of your goddamn mind."

"Don't-" he jerked his arm out and gripped Winter's bicep when she got up to leave, "If you make a scene, you'll meet a quick end. Look behind you, the men in the black jackets."

Winter glanced over her shoulder and spotted two men in leather jackets staring at her. One of them nodded and pat the breast of his jacket, probably acknowledging a gun.

"Think of the money…" Burke continued, "Think of the person that you want to be. Do you want to be strong, do you want to prosper, do you want to protect and provide for the ones important in your life? Or do you want to be a scum sucking vermin, fighting for scraps to stay alive for one more day only to wake up in your den and do it all over again? People like us, we need to make hard decisions for those who see only emotion and don't look at the practicality of what each decision means. Think about it, just for one day. I'm going to head back to Tenpenny Tower, come and see me when it's done."

Winter took a few heavy swigs of the whiskey bottle before wordlessly getting up and walking out the front door. It wasn't even a question in her mind about what she was going to do. Winter was a bastard, but she wasn't a _genocidal_ bastard. She wouldn't kill anybody just for her own comfort, to fall asleep on soft sheets and ignore the hundreds, probably thousands of people that would die because of her actions. They'd find a way to feed everybody in Washington, but nuking a town wasn't the answer.

She didn't have a lot of time; Burke and his guards would be leaving Megaton at any minute. She could feel the adrenaline of the moment conflicting with the alcohol dulling her system as she ran toward the Sheriff's office.

"Lucas! Lucas!" Winter shouted as she stumbled inside, "Lucas get your fucking ass out here now!"

"Goddamn it, Winter," Lucas shouted, clearly in a meeting with Jacob, "I'm- "

"No! No shut up!" Winter was hysterical. She lunged over the reception desk and into his office, "Some motherfucker just gave me a detonator for the bomb. We have to evacuate the town- "

"Keep your fucking voice down," Lucas hissed, shooting a gloved hand out and smothering Winter's mouth, "Speak very quietly."

"This guy, in Moriarty's, he- he offered me five thousand caps to detonate the bomb."

"Motherfucker," he grunted. He spotted Scout walking for the outside and called him in.

"Listen to me and listen good," he leant close to Scout and kept his voice to a whisper, "I want you to lock down the town. Nobody gets in and out of the gates, nobody. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, why? What's going on?"

"Scout just listen to me. Under no circumstances is anybody to come in or out."

"Okay…"

"Kill them if you have to. Nobody enters, nobody leaves. Take two men with you and keep the gate guards where they are. Keep _everybody_ calm."

"I will," he promised.

"What did the guy look like?" Lucas asked Winter.

"Fancy white suit and a hat, black or brown I can't remember, and he reeks of cologne. The guy's name is Burke, I didn't get a first name. He has at least two guys with him to watch his back. They're mean guys in black jackets. Brown straight cut hair and beards, white, tall, muscular as hell, they're all from Tenpenny Tower. The second we run in, you'll need some guys to get on them otherwise they'll kill us all."

"You're coming?"

"Fuck yeah, I'm not gonna get blown up and die in some kind of fallout."

"What the fuck is going on?" Scout insisted.

"Some guy just handed a detonator to Winter and instructed her to arm the bomb to detonate."

"…Did you do it?"

"No!" Winter frowned, "What the fuck?"

"What do we do about the detonator?" Scout wondered.

"Smash it," Jacob suggested.

"No," Winter insisted, "How do we know the thing isn't armed?"

"It isn't armed, the guys are still here, aren't they?"

"They are, besides, even if they left now the blast goes for a few miles."

"These bastards have come to me five separate times offering to buy Megaton out. Didn't anticipate they'd go this far. Alright. Screw the first part of the plan. Scout, we're going to secure the gates together, then you, me, Jacob, and Winter, we're charging to place. Get three more guys to stand guard outside, and we're bringing two more to guard the gate. We're getting this shit done today."

"What about Tenpenny? Will he retaliate?"

"No doubt, we'll worry about that later. Move out."

They moved quickly but didn't run as to not cause a panic. The deputies on gate duty quickly locked down the town gates, albeit with a confused populace gathering around and asking questions. As they approached the bar, Lucas started to give out his final orders.

"Okay. Scout and Jacob, I want you to take the guards. Winter, you're with me. I want you to be 100% sure that this is the right guy. I want everybody in handcuffs, but if you see someone reaching for something, you put them down. Don't shout about what they're trying to do, I don't want to panic the down. Understood?"

"Got it," the three of them responded.

"Don't let anybody distract you. One false move and we run the risk of them getting the upper hand." They arrived at the front door and Lucas gripped the front door knob.

"We can do this," Lucas told them, "If we work together. We can do this."

They all nodded in agreement, and Lucas swung open the door.

"Aww Lucas, what the fuck is this shite?" Moriarty spat as they stormed inside.

"Where is he? C'mon Daniels find him for me," Lucas ordered.

"Right there," Winter pointed at Burke. He sat in an old wicker chair in the corner of the room, reading a book while sipping some wine.

"Hello, sheriff," he greeted him warmly.

"Hands in the air, right now!" he ordered, marching toward him and pointing his rifle at them.

Burke had the audacity to frown and cock his head in confusion, "Is there a problem?"

"This is the guy, Winter?"

"Absolutely."

"Scout and Jacob, watch our backs. Burke, you're under arrest, you're being taken in for questioning."

"Oh, please," he interrupted, but Lucas persisted.

"On your feet and put your hands in the air!"

"What are you talking about? This is a horrible misunderstanding."

"Don't play games with me, we can talk when we get you down to my office."

"I'm afraid I won't have time to make that appointment," he rose to his feet slowly, unphased at the gun pointed at him.

"It isn't a matter of choice, Burke. Hands in the air right fucking now or I _will_ put you down."

"Me? I'm a defenceless man. What did I do?"

"Winter?" Nova called from upstairs.

Winter glanced up the stairs at a half-dressed and confused Nova.

"Go back upstairs, I've-"

"Don't reach-" Lucas roared.

She whirled around in time to see Burke ripping a revolver out from inside his jacket, her instinct made her reach for her own sidearm and fire. Winter blinked and stood completely still for a moment as the room took a second to process what happened. She just jerked her arm and fired, she didn't even need to think about it. Burke slumped to the ground, dead, and the moment his corpse hit the hardwood floor, the room erupted into chaos. His guards reached for their own weapons and were quickly put down. As they slumped back into their own chairs, in the corner of her eye, she spotted Lucas' legs give out and the sheriff tumbled onto the floor.

"I've been shot!" he shouted, "I've been hit."

Winter rushed to him, holstering her revolver and examining the growing patch of red on his stomach.

"You're alright, you're alright," Winter assured him.

"My boy... you have to look after my boy," Lucas croaked, "Don't let him see me dying."

"Hey! Jacob!" Winter shouted, "Stop fucking around and get me a fucking mattress from upstairs! Nova! Get me a bath towel, the biggest one you have."

They took off without another word.

"You're fine, you're gonna be fine," she promised, "Just keep talking to me, okay? Tell me about your boy."

"His name is Harden. He's a good boy."

"What does he like to do?"

"Baseball, he likes to read. He's such a good kid," he sobbed, "I'm gonna miss seeing him grown."

"Lucas you're gonna be fine," she promised as the mattress crashed down the stairs, "Alright listen up! Get the mattress outside."

"Why can't we carry him normally?" Jacob asked.

"Just listen to me! Get the mattress outside!"

The mattress needed to be flipped on its side to get out and was laid out at the front door. Nova tossed her the towel which Winter used to wrap around his neck in an improvised neck brace. Her Dad didn't teach her a lot about anything, but when he realised Winter's interest in sports, he had the sense to teach her how to treat sports injuries. Lucas got shot in the gut, but there was a chance the bullet bounced around in his body and also did damage to his spine. His neck and back needed to be jostled around as minimally as possible, so any damage sustained could hopefully be treated by Church.

"Smells like pussy," Lucas complained as the towel wrapped securely underneath his jawline.

"Let it remind you of pleasant memories, Lucas," Winter laughed as the deputies came running back in.

"Alright, this is how it's gonna be played!" Winter shouted as Scout and Jacob came running back in, "We are going to _gently_ pick him up, I don't want him bent like a V shape I want him as straight as possible but do _not_ pull at him to the point where there's tension. Jacob, hold him just below his kneecap, Scout, wrap your arms underneath his armpits and carry him that way, I'm gonna take his mid-section and try and keep him as straight as possible. We lift on three… One… two… three!"

They hoisted him up and Winter found proper leverage by wrapping her arms around his upper thigh and the midsection of his back.

"God damn it!" Lucas shouted.

"Just push through it, Lucas!" Winter grunted as they carried him for the short trip onto the mattress. They laid him down and hoisted it up by the handles on the side. Moriarty's was at Megaton's highest point; the clinic was far below on the ground. To get there, they'd have to move down three steep ramps.

"We have to keep this thing level," Jacob realised as they moved down the first ramp.

"Alright, Jacob you're the strongest, take the front while we take the sides. When the mattress dips down, I want you to balance it so Lucas is lying straight as often as possible, okay? We don't wanna drop him."

"Don't drop me, kid," Lucas warned.

"I'm not going to drop you," he promised.

By the time they made it down the first ramp, Church had heard about what had happened and had run up to meet them.

"Move, move, move!" Church shouted, "Where was he hit?"

"In the abdomen," Winter explained, "There's no exit wound, but it hit pretty much dead on the centre."

"Okay, who wrapped the towel around his head?"

"I did. I didn't want his neck to jostle."

"Good," he nodded, "You're gonna be okay, buddy."

"Stop telling me that. Church, if anything happens to me, you have to look after Harden."

"God damn, in that case, I'm gonna have to work extra hard to save your life. That boy is a pain in the ass."

"Church!" Lucas groaned.

"I'll look after him, but you're gonna be fine, it's just a scratch."

"I know a god damn bullet wound when I see one, I'm done."

"You obviously don't know a good doctor when you see one."

"Oh fuck, I suppose you can cure my bad eyesight too?"

"You might have to treat him for crabs in his beard," Winter joked as they descended down another ramp, "That towel is nasty."

It earned a laugh out of the sheriff, despite everything he still maintained a small chuckled as they made it down to the clinic and into the emergency ward.

"Oh, thank god," Amata gasped when she saw her.

"Oh yeah, 'thank god', only the sheriff is wounded!" Lucas shouted.

"I'm sorry!" Amata's hands flew to her mouth, her knees buckling from embarrassment and regret at her outburst.

"Alright. Jacob and Scout help me onto the bed."

"Are you okay?" Amata whispered to Winter as they worked on transferring him from the mattress to the hospital bed, "What the fuck happened?"

"I'm fine," she promised, "Some guys tried to mess with the town. Don't worry about it. What're you doing here?"

"I heard there were people shooting in the bar, I ran to see if you were alright, but Church told me I would be better suited here to help if you were wounded."

"It was over before we knew it had started, but I'm alright."

"Here," she uttered, getting on her tiptoes and pecking her lips before Winter rushed to Lucas' side.

"Alright, everybody go away," Church ordered. Two other doctors in the clinic began pull on scrubs and wash their hands while Amata stood close by.

"I don't need you yet, Amata," Church said while he prepared a set of surgical instruments, "Tomorrow, maybe, but this isn't your ball game yet."

"What do you need?" Winter asked Lucas.

"Here," Lucas grunted. He snatched an admittance form from the table and scribbled something on the back and signed it, "Payment for buying me some extra time on this earth when you killed that smug prick. Go and see Shelly in the department, she'll give you a deed to a two-bedroom house. You won't have to pay a dime."

"Are you for real?" she stuttered as Lucas shoved the paper into her hands.

"I am for real," he chuckled, "You've earned it. Come and see me tomorrow morning, if I make it that long."

"You're going to be fine," Amata promised, despite being unable to contain her elated grin.

"Go on, now," he waved his hand at the door, "Go move your stuff out of that shithole, enjoy the privacy."

They didn't need to be told twice. Amata went to the Common Room to pack up their belongings while Winter ran to the department. Shelly was visibly shaken from all the commotion but seemed to feed off of Winter's excitement. The house was within Megaton's gates, right next to it, actually. The moment you walked through the gates you walked up a small slope to the left, then past two houses and you arrived at their house. It was a small two-storey shack, sturdy with a small balcony that overlooked the market and a small backyard the joined up with the house beside theirs. It was everything Winter ever wanted and more. She held the key in her hand but decided she would wait for Amata before they looked inside. She went back to the Common Room and helped Amata with the last of their stuff. They had very little sentimental value for the bunk beds they'd spent many uncomfortable nights in, but they still thanked Maggie for the hospitality as they left.

"Have you seen it?" Amata asked, practically vibrating with excitement. Winter carried Dogmeat in the sack slung across her shoulders while carrying two duffle bags, unable to hold Amata's hand and instead having to settle for Amata wrapping an arm around the bend of hers.

"I've only seen the outside. It could be a dump."

"Then we'll clean it up," Amata insisted.

"It's just up here."

"Oh, this house! I loved the way this one looks!" Amata took the key from her grip and unlocked the door.

The inside was dusty and bare. Walking through the door showed a living room to the left of the front door, which led into the kitchen. In front of the door and to the right was a staircase leading upstairs to the bathroom and two bedrooms; one master bedroom to the left of the stairs, and one smaller bedroom to the right. It was small, cozy, and perfect. The only thing that was off-putting was the hazy appearance of dust, but Amata simply walked over and opened a few of the windows and the sliding glass door leading into the backyard to begin to air it out. Winter put Dogmeat down in the backyard and left him to explore while she looked over the rest of the house.

"It's all ours," Amata mused, "Paid in full. It's all ours."

"It's ours," Winter agreed.

"I mean, it needs to be cleaned, but whatever! We can do that over a weekend. All it needs is a little scrubbing, and we'll go get some furniture."

Winter ran up the stairs and into the main bedroom, "There's already a bed in here."

"No shit," Amata followed her up to look at the frame and bare mattress. Winter went into the bathroom while Amata checked the bed and tested the bath and shower. The pipes squealed in protest when she turned the taps but produced clear water all the same.

"Jesus!" Amata shouted over the squealing.

Winter turned off the shower and shrugged, "I can fix that, don't worry."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she approached her, putting her hands on her hips, "This is ours, baby."

One kiss turned into several, slowly devolving from innocent into something needier. Winter let her instinct take over for just a moment and pushed Amata onto the bed. Much to her delight, Amata grabbed two fistfuls of her jacket and pulled her down with her. The second Winter lifted her head up to breathe, Amata latched onto her neck, lightly biting and sucking at the flesh there.

"Holy shit," Winter almost laughed in disbelief, but it came out as a groan. She forgot how it started her first time, how they made the awkward transition between making out and sex. With Nova, it was stupidly easy. Thankfully, Amata didn't seem to care and was busy fiddling with the buckle of Winter's belt.

"Can I...?" Amata asked, gesturing downward to her belt.

"Yeah," she nodded. The belt was probably not the best place to start, especially considering Winter was still wearing her boots, but she wasn't in any kind of mood to tease. This was Amata's first time, she wasn't going to make her feel more insecure and awkward than she probably already was. Both of their hands got busy with removing the rest of their clothes until all that was left were a pair of pants and a shirt between them.

"Are you sure about this?" Winter asked breathlessly.

"I'm sure. Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah," she nodded. She yanked off her own shirt and hesitated, "But listen… the second you want to stop, or something feels wrong, you tell me, okay?"

"Yeah," she agreed impatiently, "Just… come here."

"Fuck you're beautiful," she muttered, shuffling back briefly to remove Amata's pants.

"Shut up," Amata chuckled.

"Make me."

"I... don't know what to do."

"I know, it's okay," she hooked her arms around Amata's legs and slowly pulled her closer until their bare bodies were pressed together, "We take it slow, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"The minute you want to stop, all you have to do is say so, okay? I don't want you hurt."

"Okay," Amata's voice was calm, but she was just as tense and jerky as Winter had been during her first time.

"Hey," Winter reached up and stroked her blushing cheek, "It's only me."

"I know," she breathed as the touch seemed to unravel at least some of the tension in her body, "I want you."

"I want you," she echoed in a gentle whisper, lowering her lips so they hovered just above hers as her hand slowly moved downward, "I've got you."


	13. Fighting Makes the World Go Round

Winter woke up to the familiar, wonderful feeling of someone threading their fingers gently through her hair. Opening her eyes, she saw Amata smiling sweetly down at her, the early morning sun making her brown hair and olive skin shimmer a golden hue. The sight stunned Winter for a moment, something that Amata seemed to enjoy. Amata tucked a strand of black hair behind Winter's ear and grazed a kiss along her lips.

"Good morning," Amata whispered with a light blush in her cheeks.

"Good morning. How're you feeling?"

"Amazing," she breathed, "Last night was amazing."

"It was," she agreed. Amata settled on her and pulled the blanket over both of them, Winter wrapping an arm across her back, "No regrets?"

"None. You?"

"Not one. I'm happy that you're happy,"

"I'm sorry that I was clumsy."

"You were fine," Winter hummed into her temple before kissing it, "And you'll get better. I swear."

"So it wasn't good?"

"It was great."

"But I was bad?"

"Amata," she groaned, "It was awesome, I'm assuring you that feeling like you were lousy your first time is normal, you get better at it over time."

"How good are you?"

"Well..." Winter trailed off, "Do you really want to hear stories about me with other women?"

"No, no I'm good."

"Thought so," Winter yawned.

"Can we... y'know?"

Winter picked up her watch that had been discarded on the lean-to, "In a little while. We should check on Lucas."

"Just five minutes," Amata insisted.

"Come on, baby," Winter breathed, "It's almost eight in the morning."

Amata gave a heavy sigh before slowly rolling onto her back and getting up.

"I'm gonna be tired all day," Amata yawned as she dressed.

"Worth it," Winter joked, "C'mon. No yawning in front of Lucas, Church will kill you."

"Fair enough. Let's go."

/

Church was having a cup of coffee in the waiting room when they arrived. The otherwise open doorway into the surgery was closed, and Winter could spot little spots of red still on his fingers.

"How is he?" Amata asked.

"Beat up and running a bad fever, but I think he'll be alright. Jacob's with him at the moment. You can go and see him, you'll need to wear fresh scrubs, gloves, and a face mask, though."

"Goddamn, is it that bad?"

"No, but I'm trying to keep it from getting worse."

They got changed into scrubs and approached Lucas' bed. His brown skin had a chalky tone to it now, his eyes were sunken in and droopy, and his arms housed a mess of tubes that ran into various IVs and busted up machines.

"Hey," Winter smiled, "Told you you'd make it."

"Still not sure I'm not dying," Lucas mumbled, "How's the house?"

"It's awesome, everything we wanted."

"You need anything?"

'Oh- God no, Lucas, no," Amata insisted, "What can we do for you?"

"Glad you asked," he rasped, "Jacob, it's hard to talk, pal. Tell them the plan."

Jacob gave a solemn nod before turning to speak to them, "Retaliation from Tenpenny Tower is expected, they have dozens of guys on their payroll that would love a good fight. If they come here or start antagonising our trade routes, there's no way we can properly deal with them. Reaching out to other mercenary outfits won't be fast enough, we need to contact the Brotherhood."

"They said they'd be heading into Springvale in the next few days," Winter nodded.

"I was going to let them use the town to run a training exercise," Lucas coughed.

"They aren't set to arrive for another week due to delays," Jacob continued, "Winter, I need you to ride to their base in the outskirts of Downtown and give them a message."

"They'll help us?"

"Brotherhood will always jump at a chance to make themselves look good," the sheriff croaked, "But listen… Amata…"

"What?"

"I want you to stay here… and look after my boy…"

"You want me to look after your son?"

"Nobody else will have the time. Church is always here, Jacob is acting sheriff while I'm busy dying, and Scout is… well…" he chuckled which turned into a string of uncomfortable coughing. Once the fit finally subsided, he continued, "Way I figure… you kept Daniels alive for this long… a quiet, shy boy won't be too difficult. I have someone riding to find my brother up north… but until then I'm the only family that's close. He's already lost his mother… he's thinking he's going to lose me… and I can't just let him sit here and watch his old man die."

Amata knew what it was like to watch a parent wither away and die. She only had brief memories of her mother and almost all of them were when she was ill. One of the memories that stood out was lying in bed with her a few hours before she passed, being held in her arms while her mother gently sang lullabies to her. She was just a tiny kid, she didn't quite grasp what was happening at the time, but even now she remembered the feeling of the entire world closing in around her, and nobody was able to save her.

Amata didn't have time to weigh the importance of protecting Harden from the trauma of losing a parent and protecting Winter from herself, because Winter only nodded her head and agreed that Amata would watch Harden.

"Thank you," he exhaled, "Jacob… can you take Hardy to Amata's house after Winter leaves? We'll give them a chance to say goodbye first…"

"Sure," he nodded. He removed an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Winter, "I have the message and directions to the Citadel, it's easy, you can't miss it. The trip is safe, the roads in that area are heavy with BoS troops so just do what they say if they order it and you'll be fine. We wouldn't be sending you on your own if we thought it was dangerous, especially with a message like this one. We can't send one of the deputies to deliver it, they're all patrolling Megaton. They're all pissed off, none of them want to leave."

"I'll get it done."

"You have to go now," Lucas muttered, "Goddamn radios aren't working… they must have sabotaged them… just before the fight… they must have known we were coming…"

"I'll deliver the message."

"Good kid," he reached out a weakened hand, which Winter took in both of hers and gently shook, "Good luck… you won't need it, though."

Jacob shook her hand and thanked her, and with that, Winter and Amata left.

"You can't make decisions for me," Amata muttered.

"I just did. You need to look after the kid."

"I need to look after you," Amata insisted, "What the fuck do I keep saying? We stay together."

"It's only for one day," she argued as they reached home, "The roads will be safe."

Winter began to pack a bag while Amata was completely silent, sitting at the foot of the bed and fiddled with Winter's shirt instead of folding it. She could see Amata withdrawing into a panic, so she handed her the list of instructions.

"Here, read this out for me."

"Ride the road east towards Downtown," Amata began with a quivering tone before she cleared her throat, "Follow the signage to the Citadel barge. Pay the fare and cross. You'll be compensated when you return. Do not engage with…" she cleared her throat again, "Do not engage with any raiders you find on the roads, they will try to sell you things. Be polite and leave. Do not antagonise anyone. You should be fine, the BoS patrols the area decently around five miles out from the barge. There will be a bridge a few hundred feet from the barge, do not take the bridge, it's prone to sniper fire. When you get there ask for Scribe Tennalsen, he's a friend of mine. He'll be able to allocate all the relevant resources, and he should be able to find you a place to sleep for the night. In the morning, be on the first barge across the river and head home."

The tears were pricking at her eyes before Amata could stop them. She tossed the letter aside and dabbed at her moist eyes while barely holding back a sob.

"Hey, hey," Winter cupped her face in her hands, "Look at me."

"Please be careful, please."

"I will, I swear. I'll be gone a day, okay? I'll be gone for one day. Tomorrow night, we'll be together again. I swear."

"Okay. Okay."

Winter kissed her, then pecked the flesh just above the stitches on her head, "Be good. Look after Dogmeat."

Amata choked out a laugh and wiped away her tears. She took a moment to pause, take in a deep breath, and give her a final, calmer hug.

"Be good," she repeated with a soft smile, "I'll be home tomorrow night."

/

Winter had plenty to think about on the ride to the river. Her mind drifted with memories of last night. The fear of messing this up wasn't at the forefront of her mind anymore. They had just clicked so well together, even when it was Amata's first time she never got in Winter's way. Winter knew she was in love with her, and it wasn't really that much of a shock. They were inseparable since Amata was barely born, by the time they had their first kiss they were pretty much already there. Everything about Amata was perfect, from her cute button nose to the way she didn't let Winter get away with anything. She wanted to give it a few days to think about it before she was absolutely sure. But it kept almost escaping her lips. When they said their goodbyes, "I love you" was just barely contained before could she blurt it out. Even now, riding down an empty highway with a borrowed rifle and the constant threat of robbery, she still had a stupid grin on her face whenever she thought of her. Her baby, all smiles and innocent touches, like butter wouldn't melt. Why did she agree to ride through the gross heat to deliver a message and just ride back home again? She could be in bed with her right now.

 _Nope, you'd be stuck looking after the kid, too_ , Winter realised, suddenly content with some peace and quiet. She liked kids but… hell, she wasn't up for looking after them for a whole day. Winter decided that she would use the time to practice riding the horse as fast as it would go. She knew she was bouncing around too much in her saddle. When the horse made a quick turn to avoid a rock or awkward obstruction, she had to hunker down low and sometimes just barely managed to not tumble off.

True to Jacob's word, the roads were quiet. After a few hours of riding, small outposts were beginning to dot along the side of the road, and soldiers began to leisurely patrol. Winter had stopped at the side of the road and was checking the map when a group of them passed by. They wore the same uniform of blue that Dusk and Lyons wore, except they didn't have much equipment on their backs or saddles, just a rifle, service pistol, ammo and a canteen, from what Winter could see.

"You lost, civvie?" one of them asked, stopping to take a brief sip from his canteen.

"Just making sure I'm going the right way. I'm headed to the Citadel barge."

He nodded and pointed back toward the way they came, "You're fine, just keep heading up that road for around an hour, you'll see the ticket office before the river, it's got a huge BoS flag on top of it and a bunch of soldiers patrolling.

"Thanks man, I appreciate that."

"Stay safe."

"You too."

"You coming from Megaton?" one of his friends asked.

"Yeah."

"Good, nobody's telling us anything about what's going on over there. My girl's in Megaton, what's happening?"

"Everybody's fine, it was just a bad gunfight in the bar. No women died."

"So that's why they've locked the whole town down?" he frowned, "C'mon, civvie. Spill it."

"Easy," Winter warned, "I heard that it was between a group of mercs and one of the guys living in Megaton. They're locking down the town to prevent more shit from going down."

"Makes sense," the friendly one told his friend.

"I bust my ass all day to protect you ungrateful pricks," the bitter one spat on the ground by Winter's horse and kicked his horse into a gallop to catch up with the rest of his group.

"See you around, civvie," the friendly one called as he put his horse into a trot, "Good luck!"

"You too!" Winter called.

The rest of the trip to the barge was uneventful, and after an hour's ride she arrived at the barge. The river between Winter and the Citadel was huge, with the Citadel sitting proudly around a mile away.

"It'll take around a half hour to get across the river," the guy at the ticket office explained, "It's just you and one horse?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Head down to the barge and one of the guys will load you up."

"All I saw was a barge?"

"… That's the barge."

"Ah fuck," Winter muttered, pushing herself off the ticket counter.

The "barge" was a hunk of shit piece of metal held up with water drums. Winter saw it when she rode up to the river and assumed it was some insane person's contraption they used for personal use. She led the horse to the "barge", where two soldiers were chatting. One soldier was dressed in an infantry uniform and looked like he was around fifty years old, with a thick grey unkempt moustache that obscured his lips and long jowls that seeped around the collar of his jacket.

"Hey kid," the soldier greeted, "Looking to cross?"

"Yeah, me and the horse."

"Alright, we'll tie that one down," he nodded.

"Why do you have to tie the horse down?" Winter wondered as he led the horse onto the barge.

"Sometimes the horses panic, especially if the river is a little more aggressive like it is today," he grunted, "When we first started this thing up, I saw an infantryman get on with his horse during high tide. A rock went along the river and slammed into the side of the barge, the horse got spooked and kicked. Poor buddy wasn't wearing his helmet, got knocked out like a light and tumbled into the river, never managed to find the bastard."

"Goddamn," Winter tutted as the other soldier climbed on and grabbed a rope that ran along the length of the river and began to pull.

"Goddamn I would have thought this thing would be pulled by a motor or something," Winter frowned.

"Can't spare the resources," he grunted as he pulled, "We had a mechanism that would do the work for us, but some funny fuck broke it a few days ago, so we have to pull."

"Do you want a hand?"

"No, the current should do most of the work. Just sit tight."

The distance they had to travel was reasonably short, only around 1000 feet, but progress was painfully slow. The boat rocked and made Winter nauseous to the point where she was sure she was going to puke. Buildings surrounded the Citadel on the otherwise of the river, all of them in various stages of destruction. Despite that, she spotted some humanoid figures standing on the top of some tall buildings. Whether or not they were BoS, Winter wasn't sure. They crossed the river and skidded into the embankment with a violent jolt.

"Ah fuck…" Winter groaned. A wave of nausea disoriented her for a minute before she managed to collect herself.

"Ha! The hard jolt at the end is what does it for some of the greener troops," the soldier laughed, "Get on the ground so you can orient yourself, you'll be fine."

This side of the river was bustling with soldiers, more than Winter had ever seen before. Hundreds lined the roads, all in a seemingly happy mood as she moved toward the Citadel, choosing to lead the horse before the bumping motion of riding finally caused her to vomit.

The area around the Citadel was a lot like Springvale, except it was more put together. Houses lined the streets and kids were running around playing. In the middle of the outskirts of a destroyed city was this small suburbia. The most noticeable thing was a large baseball field with full size teams playing with a decent sized crowd watching. The size of the field, complete with a large open sky to hit home runs to, made Winter green with envy. Back in the Vault, a home run was hitting the opposite wall in the "park room", which was only around 170 feet. Everybody earned a home run in the high school and adult leagues. She was tempted to stop and watch, before she was quickly reminded of Amata, probably worried sick about her. Promising herself that she would come back some day to watch, she continued to the main gates of the Citadel.

Security got noticeably tighter when Winter approached the Citadel gates. As she got within a hundred feet, she noticed that a lot of people were giving her a few sideways looks, some even muttered a few things into their radios that she couldn't quite hear. Gunfire was going off inside the complex, probably practise judging by how unphased everybody was. The gates to the BoS were a deep blue with the BoS logo painted in black across two mighty doors. At the front of the doors were four soldiers in Power Armour, two guarding each side of the gates.

"Hey, bud," she greeted a soldier.

"Hey," he nodded with an annoyed scowl at the informality, "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I've got a message to give to a Scribe Tennalsen."

The soldier gave a heavy, impatient sigh and looked back to his group of friends.

"I'd like to help you out, but Tennalsen hasn't been in Washington for… I don't know, eight months? Who sent the message?"

"Lucas Simms."

"The Megaton Sheriff?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'll figure something out. Wait here," he turned on his heel and opened one side of the gates just enough for his bulky frame to squeeze through.

"Wouldn't hold your breath, kid," another armoured soldier advised, "I'd take a seat."

Just as Winter found a place to sit on a bench leading into the gates, she spotted Dusk leaving, dressed for what looked like patrol and leading out a jet-black horse. Looking up, the soldier spotted Winter instantly and immediately made her way to her.

"Daniels!" Dusk grinned, "How're you doing, dude?"

"Hey, Dusky," she laughed, "How's life?"

"Yeah not too bad," she shrugged, "You're here to enlist?"

"Not today, I'm thinking about it, though. I've got an urgent letter from Megaton."

"Yeah? What the fuck's going on? Nobody can get in or out."

"It's fucked, I don't know how much I can say."

"Hey, I can get that. C'mon, I'll take you down to Intel."

"What about your horse?"

"Ah fuck him," Dusk laughed before turning to one of the patrolling guards, "You mind if I hitch Connor to the bench here?"

The soldier only dismissively waved his hand like he didn't care. Dusk tied the horse to the bench and gave him a treat before approaching the gates.

Inside was a clusterfuck of activity. The whole interior was sectioned off into four quarters. The two quarters immediately left and right to them had soldiers sitting on benches, having lunch and talking, while the others were running drill practise. The walls surrounding those quarters were covered in layers of sandbags, absorbing bullets that missed the dummy targets that a bunch of what looked like new recruits were firing service weapons at.

"That'll be you if you join," Dusk shouted over the fire as they walked past, "Though hopefully not as useless."

They crossed the pathway, past the soldiers practising, and into two large metal doors leading into a building. It was kind of like the administration wing to the Vault, with tight corridors leading to offices. It reminded her of finishing work and coming to find Amata in her admin office. Soldiers in here weren't wearing infantry uniforms, they were wearing sharp looking suits, with nice jackets with various medals pinned to them. The occasional infantry soldier was present, but they were always reporting to a nicer dressed soldier.

"They're the officers?" Winter asked.

"You got it, officers. Intel, command, squad, everything that keeps this delightful little shitshow running. The scribes are downstairs, they're the fuckers in robes, but we're going below that. You know what an elevator is?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, just asking. We're going to the third floor underground. You could drop another atom bomb on this complex and we'd only feel a little rumble this far down."

"Damn, okay."

"Not that we're expecting one," Dusk assured her, "We're gonna go see Lyons."

"How is she?"

"Miserable," she admitted, "We're trying to find replacement members to our squad."

"Nobody wants the job?"

Dusk opened her mouth to speak but took another few seconds to think of her response, "Look… Lyons… she takes death personally, you know? It's a sign of a good leader but… she just likes to take stock of herself and her leadership abilities before she signs up new people. People want to be part of Lyons Pride, it's one of the best quads that sees the most action, but it's hard. It's very hard. You have to train every single day because Lyons only wants the best people in her unit."

"Is it an elite unit?"

"Only because Lyons makes it an elite unit."

They travelled down a few floors to a room that was bustling with activity. Guys in robes were running around with clipboards and officers were arguing over the top of one another.

"Is something serious happening?"

"No," Dusk giggled, "They're always running around like this. In a hurry to get nowhere, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah."

Dusk maneuvered through the hallway to a door with "meeting room" inscribed on it.

"Stand over here for a second," Dusk told her, nudging her to the side. She straightened out her uniform and stood up straight before delivering three sharp knocks to the door. A uniformed officer answered and they both briskly saluted. The officer stood in such a way that seeing into the room was impossible, he held the door only partially open and seemed the lean outward.

"Knight- Sergeant Dusk requesting Code Five urgent communication with Sentinel Lyons," Dusk spoke clearly but as quietly as she could.

The officer nodded and swiftly shut the door in her face.

"So…?" Winter trailed off, "What's happening?"

"Just wait a minute. There's sensitive material in that building, assholes like me can't just peek over someone's shoulder and see it."

Lyons came out dressed like an officer. She seemed startled to see Winter standing there, but immediately turned her whole attention to Dusk.

"What is it Dusk, I'm busy."

"Urgent information from Megaton," Dusk pointed. She took a few steps aside to bring Winter to Lyons' attention. She looked annoyed that Winter was even there, and for a brief moment, Winter doubted that Lyons would care, or would yell at her for bothering her with this.

"Hey, Lyons," Winter shuffled a little nervously. _Hell, all I can really do is ask,_ she thought.

"What's wrong?" Lyons frowned.

Clearing her throat, she went into her back pocket and retrieved the letter, "Urgent correspondence from Megaton, out radio service is currently disabled so we couldn't get word through to you sooner."

"You're bothering me with this?" Lyons scolded Dusk, "Go talk to a scribe."

"It's important," Winter insisted, perhaps to her fault, "It um… it's about the bomb."

Lyons took the envelope and opened it. Scanning the lines, her curious look morphed into concern, biting her bottom lip and narrowing her eyes.

"So you don't have any suspects or offenders who you can question?"

"No. We tried to take some people alive, but they were all shot down."

Lyons nodded her head, "Okay. Give me a minute to speak to the Elder. Dusk, keep Daniels occupied."

"What is it?" Dusk frowned.

"Daniels can put you up to speed," she brushed her colleague off before disappearing back into the room. Dusk spun on her heel, "Details. Now."

"Easy does it," Winter frowned, "I didn't do anything. Some guy named Tenpenny tried to detonate the bomb in Megaton."

"Fuck me, seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Well fuck, we've gotta go," Dusk said, "We've gotta go kill the bastard."

"Hopefully that's what Lyons is arguing for."

"Oh, don't worry, she'll argue the case for deployment," Dusk's anger quickly turned to excitement, "Man, if we take the fight to Tenpenny directly it's going to be an _amazing_ fight."

"Don't you get pissed when your friends die?"

"Of course I do, but the idea of charging into a fight doesn't excite you?"

Winter shrugged helplessly, "The adrenaline's nice, I guess."

"You guess," Dusk scoffed, "There's nothing wrong with a little fighting, Danny. It makes the world go round."

"Danny?"

Dusk only shrugged as she lit up a cigarette.

"What did I tell you about smoking in A and B ring?" Lyons asked, reappearing with a stack of papers tucked under her arm.

"How did it go?" Dusk asked, dodging the question.

"This is how it's gonna be played. You and I are riding to Megaton right now with Daniels, we'll set up camp tonight if we have to. We're giving Washington a day to get Dog Company together before they follow us. We use the time to get a plan together, we work with the sheriff, and we get this shit sorted out."

"Alright," Dusk nodded.

"Daniels," Lyons turned to her, "Give us half an hour to get ready, meet us at the gates."

"You've got it. Thank you, Lyons."

"Don't thank us yet, we haven't done anything," Lyons smirked, "We'll see you in a half hour."

"What'd your Dad say?" Dusk asked quietly as she left, but not quiet enough for Winter to not hear.

"Don't call him that in the A Ring," Lyons tutted, "I'll tell you about it later."

/

Dusk came out first and shared a cigarette with her while they waited for Lyons. When Lyons did come out, she was looking a little more troubled.

"Did you say goodbye to Ali?" Lyons asked Dusk.

"Yeah," she answered, in a higher pitch than usual that made Winter and Lyons both glance at each other.

"I'm not listening to you two argue again," Lyons warned, "Go say goodbye."

"Lyons, it'll be fine."

"You'll catch up with us. Go!" she ordered with a hard point to the gates. Dusk walked off with her tail between her legs, leaving an awkward air between Winter and Lyons as they mounted up and began to ride for Megaton.

"She pissed," Winter chuckled.

Lyons shrugged helplessly as she watched the soldier toddle off back into the Citadel's main courtyard, "She'll get over it. Anyways, thanks for not agreeing to eviscerate thousands of lives for the sake of some chump change."

"Chump change?"

"Yeah, the letter mentioned it. You can earn five thousand in three years in the Brotherhood, that guy would have been feeding you a line if he was bragging about five grand being serious money."

"Yeah," she trailed off. The more she talked about it, the more she stressed about Amata still _being_ in Megaton, so close to a bomb that Winter was worried could go off at any second. She wanted her to stay and look after Harden because she thought that this might be dangerous, but what's more dangerous than an atomic bomb?

"Something on your mind, Daniels?"

"No, it's just… I'm a little uneasy about the bomb."

"Understandable, is it under heavy guard?"

"I'm assuming so. I'm not law enforcement there, I'm a courier if nothing else."

"That bomb's been keeping everybody up at night since Megaton began. I'm gonna go talk to your sheriff if he's up for it, I'll see if I can get my guys to research and start to dismantle it."

"When was the last time you guys dismantled a nuclear bomb?"

"Last year, smartass," Lyons laughed, "Not in Washington, one got found in a BoS territory to the north. The guy is still around, I think."

"I don't want to sound like an asshole, I'm honestly asking, how come it hasn't been disabled so far?"

"Well with all due respect, your sheriff is a little standoffish about us."

"Yeah, I figured."

"Why?"

"He seemed hesitant about me thinking about joining."

"Most of our guys come in from Megaton. They're good kids, but I can understand why some guys want a little more freedom. How's your friend? Amata was her name, right?"

"Yeah, she's doing a lot better. Should have the stitches out soon. Nice of you to ask."

"Great, I'm happy that you two got home safe."

"What's wrong with you and your Dad?"

Lyons glared at her, "Excuse me?"

"Geez, I'm sorry," Winter backed off, "I just overheard Dusk talking about your father, that was all."

"How did things go with finding yours?"

"Oh, yeah no he made it clear that I shouldn't follow him. I don't know why you avoided my question."

"Well, I might have done that because it isn't really your business."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "It was weird of me to bring it up."

"No, no it's alright," Lyons shook her head as if to scold herself, "Do you know who Owyn Lyons is?"

"Nah. He's your Dad?"

"He is, he's the Elder of this Chapter, that means he's in charge of the whole Brotherhood in Washington."

"Ah," she nodded, like she knew what the fuck that meant.

Lyons sighed, "He's under a lot of pressure lately with the chapter, despite how organised we may have seemed in Galaxy News, we aren't exactly ruling over DC with an iron fist."

"Do you want to be?"

"I want DC to be safe," she answered, "Doesn't mean we want total rule over everyone and everything."

"Why do people think that way about you?"

"I don't know."

"I think you should talk to Amata," Winter suggested, "She was just like you."

"Yeah?"

"Her Dad ran Vault 101. He… well… he felt the pressure too."

"I'll remember that."

"Uh oh," Winter glanced over her shoulder and smirked as Dusk galloped toward them.

"She didn't give a shit," Dusk muttered to Lyons when she caught up.

"Yeah, right," Lyons laughed.

"Ali's your girl?" Winter asked.

"No," she answered defensively.

"Hey," Winter frowned, "Don't take your shit out on me."

"I'm riding to backwater Megaton for your stupid ass."

"Dusk!" Lyons snapped, "Stew in your shitty mood for a while, don't take it out on anybody else."

Dusk scowled behind them as they rode.

"Did you take the barge coming in?" Lyons asked Winter as they approached the river.

"Yeah, I'm amazed I didn't drown."

"Well we're about to triple the weight, so get excited," Lyons joked. Lyons and Dusk didn't have to pay for admission, and Lyons gave the nod for Winter to not have to pay.

"Is someone going to help us?"

Lyons shook her head, "I've done this a million times, and these lazy bastards shut down at lunchtime anyway. Here, I'll show you how to manage the weight."

Two horses were tied up on the left-hand side of the barge, with Lyons' horse on the right where the humans were standing. The idea was to try and equal out the weight, though Winter didn't think it was as perfectly balanced as it should have been.

Winter secured her horse and climbed aboard the barge. With three full-grown thoroughbreds and three full-grown adults, the barge quivered and shifted awkwardly as they balanced the weight. Lyons cast off and began to pull the rope along to the other side of the river.

"If anybody's going to shoot at us, they won't do it now," Lyons said, picking up on Winter's nervous looking around, "You know how to swim?"

"Yeah but… apparently there's rocks under there."

"Rocks, cars, corpses, metal shards, rebar," Dusk trailed off, grabbing the rope and beginning to pull the barge across the river while Lyons tended to her skittish horse, "Just hope your head caves in so you drown while you're unconscious."

"Fucking hell," Winter sighed.

"We'll be fine," Lyons assured her, "I've crossed this thing a bunch of times. If we're gonna get shot at, it'll be when we're halfway there."

Winter rotated her shoulder blade enough so her rifle strap was ready to be grabbed and her rifle ready to use. They rode mostly in silence while Winter warily watched the skyline. She wouldn't be able to see the person that would shoot them if she tried, it was mostly pointless. She instead chose to look up at the sky and enjoy the large space of nothing once more. Despite clear and present danger and the nauseous feeling as the boat rocked gently back and forth, and the dank smell of the water, this was a million times better than the Vault.

"How come we don't have soldiers patrolling the city next to the river, again?" Dusk grunted as she pulled.

"We can't spare the men, especially after GNR. Once we deal with Tenpenny, we can think about expanding to the west. Until then, we're on our ow- "

A sharp zipping noise racing in front of them startled both Winter and the horses. Winter barely had time to recognise that the sound came from a bullet before Lyons had grabbed her and pushed her down onto the ground.

"Dusk!" Lyons ordered, "Double time on the rope, let's go!"

"Aye, aye, Skip!" Dusk shouted. The BoS soldiers waiting for them at the other side were looking frantically at the ruined buildings, searching desperately for the source of the gunshot. Another one came, this time smacking into one of the plastic tubs keeping the barge afloat.

"Fuck," Lyons muttered under her breath.

Winter stepped around Lyons and unslung her rifle from her shoulder, firing a few shots aimlessly into the buildings.

"Stop it," Lyons shouted, "You're wasting ammo and blowing out my goddamn ears!"

"What're we supposed to do?!"

"Do you believe in luck?"

"God _damn_ it!" Dusk shouted, "I knew this was a bad idea!"

"Dusk, you didn't say shit. Daniels, take over from Dusk," Lyons ordered, "Dusk, rest your arms."

Winter started grabbing arm lengths of the rope, pulling and yanking as hard as she could. The rope stung against her bare hands, her heart was thudding in her ears, her mouth was dry from exertion and fear, and her body was covered in goosebumps as it anticipated getting shot.

"Lyons, we're taking on water!" Dusk warned, "We need to lose weight! Cut one of the horses off!"

"No!" Lyons shouted, "Stay where you a- "

Another gunshot cut Lyons off, hitting the flotation tubs with a sickening thud and sending an unpleasant vibration through the barge. How much more of this could they take? They looked like they were at least two more minutes from reaching the other side. When she looked back at Lyons to ask her a question, the entire back half of the barge was taking on water. The horses were screaming and struggling against their restraints while Dusk was frantically stripping off their saddles and tossing them onto the deck of the barge.

"Oh _shit_!" Winter shouted, "Swim for it!"

"You're going to be _fine_ ," Lyons promised, "Just hold on for another half minute!"

The soldiers waiting for them were opening fire at the buildings, but more shots kept pecking at the barge. Finally, one bullet managed to hit flesh. Lyons' horse screamed and reared as a bullet hit its neck, which only did more to drive the other mounts insane.

"Dusk! Shove the horse overboard!"

"About fucking time!" Dusk yelled. She sliced off the restraints and drew her sidearm, shooting the horse in the head and shoulder charging it so its dead weight slumped into the water. The barge jerked violently upward on the liberated side.

"I'm sorry, Jonah," Winter heard Lyons utter as the horse's body disappeared under the water.

"I'll just fucking pull us to safety, then!" Dusk roared, shoving Winter aside and pulling the rope.

"What do we do?"

"We're taking on less water," Lyons observed, "We're a minute out. We wait until the last minute to jump if that's what it takes."

The three of them waited for another gunshot, but another one didn't come. Winter approached her horse and began to soothe it as she watched more and more water begin to seep up the barge and towards them. Despite the immediate danger, Winter was confident that they would reach the end.

The barge made it to the embankment with a violent lurch. Dusk leapt onto her saddle-less horse and galloped it to the safety behind the ticket office. Winter wasn't blessed with Dusk's horseman skills and was content in just slapping the horse's ass to get it off the boat. For Lyons, she had nothing, and instead helped to cover Winter as they ran behind the ticket office, abandoning their gear with the grounded watercraft.

"Did you see who was shooting?" Winter asked one of the soldiers.

"We think so, I sent a team up there."

The team returned with a corpse. A heavy, muscular man with a trimmed beard, tidy hair, a vest, and an expensive looking rifle had multiple wounds in his stomach and chest, with a neat little river of crimson running through the mud-like colour of his beard.

"This was the only guy you saw?"

"Yessir," the soldier answered to his superior.

Two soldiers went through his belongings while they all crowded around the body.

"He's no raider I've ever seen," Lyons kicked his boot, "Absolutely a mercenary."

"You're right," Dusk nodded. She picked up the paper and scanned it, a small smile spreading across her face.

"What?"

"Look at that. Guy is looking for one female. Five feet eight inches tall, slim build, messy, straight black hair, blue eyes, believed to be travelling alone on a brown thoroughbred mount. How delightful."

"This asshole was trying to kill me?"

"Looks like it."

"Shit, I'm sorry I had no idea," Winter stuttered, turning to Lyons and approaching her, "I would have said something if I thought that this was gonna happen."

"I know," Lyons shrugged her off dismissively, "Who wants you dead?"

"I don't know. I killed all the Tenpenny guards."

"That you were aware of?"

"… Oh. Yeah, probably. I guess one of them could have just been chilling out in the back that didn't shoot at us. How were we supposed to know?"

"Is Amata going to be alright?" Dusk asked, "Is she in danger?"

"Amata didn't do anything, she wasn't in the bar when we killed."

"She'll be fine. You were a messenger, someone would have been trying to kill you for trying to deliver the message. They would have found you late and wanted to bag the trophy to show to their boss anyways. They won't try again. We're riding back to Megaton, right fucking now," she turned to the soldiers and brought out a notepad she kept in her leg pocket, "One of you, quickly. Get back to the Citadel and relay this message to Washington."

"You've got it."

"What're we going to do about the horses?" Winter asked. Winter's horse was wandering around, still frightened and jerking its head back as it paced at the opening of the embankment. Dusk went to her pack and impatiently pulled a rope out of her pack, fashioning a lasso and slowly approaching the startled horse.

"Whoa there," Dusk whispered, holding out her hand as if to calm her.

"Watch this," Lyons whispered. The impatience in Lyons' tone was gone as she watched her soldier carefully approaching the horse, repeating calm words of reassurance.

"Easy… Easy there," Dusk reached her hand out and gently placed it on the neck of the horse, "I know you saw me do some shit to another horse, but I'm not gonna hurt you."

Dusk leapt onto the horse without a seconds warning. The panicked horse reared onto its hind legs, but Dusk just wrapped a large clump of hair around her fist and leant into the horse like it was nothing.

"Easy! Easy!" Dusk shouted. The horse slammed its front legs back onto the ground and gave a few gentle jerks back of its head before Dusk pat the horse's neck.

"Didn't grow up on a ranch for nothing," Dusk grinned, putting the heels of her boots into the horse and trotting it up to Winter.

"Alright this is how it's going to work," Lyons began as Dusk dismounted, "Daniels, I'm going to borrow your horse. You and Dusk can share."

"What? That's my horse."

"Is it yours?"

"Well… It's Megaton's."

"That barge you used to cross the river is mine, you wanna start talking about what belongs to who?"

"Yeah that's… yeah that's fair."

They saddled the horses and Lyons mounted her horse, putting her saddle to the back of Winter's. Winter and Dusk stood on opposite sides of the horse and hesitated.

"Oh, you're out of your damn mind if you think you're going to be the front rider for my horse," Dusk chuckled. She mounted to the front of the saddle and held out her hand for Winter. Winter accepted the leg up and clumsily mounted the horse.

"Uh… I might fall."

"Why?" Dusk asked as she nudged the horse into a canter.

"I've never ridden on a horse's ass before. I've been called one a few times, but I've never ridden on one."

"Just balance," that seemed to be all the advice Dusk was interested in giving, clearly finding amusement in watching Daniels struggle to stay upright as the horse ran.

"If I fucking fall…"

"Then it'll be your fault, dumbass!" Dusk squealed in delight, "It's not that hard."

Winter had mounted the horse with a promise to herself that she wouldn't hold onto Dusk's waist, but as they rode through the road, they came across uneven ground. In a moment of panic, she reached up from gripping the back of Dusk's saddle to grabbing her shoulders.

"You're a goddamned hermit," Dusk giggled.

"Shut the fuck up, you thought the sun wasn't a star a few days ago."

"Me not knowing some bar trivia fact about the goddamn sun has gotten me into less trouble than you not knowing your way around a horse."

"Let me ride your horse then, let me practise."

"Hell no. I don't want my baby boy with a broken leg."

"You didn't have any problems shooting _my_ horse, Dusk," Lyons reminded her.

"Well yeah, it was him or us. Jonah was a great horse, but I wasn't going to die for him. I'm sorry, Ly."

"I know," Lyons went quiet. She looked up at the sky for a moment and stopped, "There's going to be a storm tonight."

"The winds are picking up," Dusk agreed, "Should we risk riding overnight?"

"No," she answered firmly, "We'll ride hard for another half hour, then we'll set up camp for the night."

"Dusk don't-" Winter's objections fell on deaf ears as Dusk urged her horse into a hard gallop.

After ten minutes they stopped and rode off into a destroyed parking lot when the menacing dark grey clouds loomed over them. They worked to construct their canvas tent in silence and managed to complete it just as rain began to fall. It only took a few moments for a gentle drizzle to become a downpour, but neither Lyons or Dusk seemed to care while they ate dried out rations. Winter wasn't hungry and instead resigned herself to nibbling at dried jerky.

"We should get back to Megaton by mid-morning tomorrow," Lyons said with a mouthful of food, "I have men from D Company arriving in a few days to camp outside Springvale, we'll need more than a strongly worded letter to dislodge that owl from his tree."

"I've wanted him to take a hike since they shut their doors to us," Dusk muttered.

"To soldiers not in their dress blues," Lyons reiterated, "You showed up in filthy combat gear reeking of mud and smoke. Of course they weren't going to let you in."

"I still haven't seen the fucking place. Is it a palace?"

"Absolutely. Tallest building in rural DC," Dusk trailed off, "I hear the inside is made of gold and you get kicked out if you loosen your tie at dinner."

"It's cold," Winter shuddered as a hard breeze attacked the tent.

"Yeah," Lyons agreed, a little condescendingly, "You ate a cold dinner."

"You aren't bothered by it?"

"We are, we just don't complain."

Winter slept for around three hours that night. On top of Dusk snoring like a busted belt sander, the harsh winds and pouring rain pelted against the tent the whole night. Winter was certain that the tent would collapse or fly away overnight, the pouches of dirt that Lyons put on each hook point to secure the tent didn't look like enough to keep it anchored down. The cold was horrific, even shoulder to shoulder with two other people she shivered and kept herself huddled in a ball the entire night. She was completely envious of Amata, who would be tucked in bed, warm as could be. She should be getting laid tonight; instead she had to deal with winds so strong she was worried she'd wake up in the land of Oz.

In the morning they ate almost in silence, and by dawn break they stepped outside to dismantle their camp.

"Just be care-" Lyons warned while Winter took a step. Her boot disappeared into the ground, throwing her off balance and sending her crashing onto the dirt.

Dusk was wheezing with laughter as Lyons waded in to help her up. Winter's hands, sleeves, side, and left pant leg were coated in freezing cold mud that immediately seeped through the fabric of her clothes and rested against her skin.

"Like a goddamn toddler," Dusk giggled as she found her feet.

"What the fuck?!" Winter yelled.

"She doesn't know how rain works, Dusk. Have some common sense. Daniels, it rained last night, and the ground softened so it won't support your boots anymore. You know what mud is, right?"

"Yeah," she grunted, "Fuck you, Dusk."

"Dude, you ate shit. I'm gonna laugh whether you knew about mud or not," she shook her head and waddled over to the horses to take off the blankets she'd put on them the night before. Winter couldn't help but smile a little at her stupidity.

"People are going to take advantage of you," Lyons warned, "I didn't realise you had such a poor understanding of the elements."

"I know about fire and water, just not when it starts falling out of the sky. I know _why_ it falls out of the sky, just not what it does to the ground."

"I don't get it, Daniels," Dusk frowned, "How come you guys weren't allowed out?"

"We were told that the outside was dangerous."

"Yeah, I got that, but you were born out here, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, twenty years ago you and your Dad wandered into the Vault as proof that the outside world was capable of holding human life. How come you both were let in, but you weren't allowed out?"

"I don't know, Dusk."

"I think you're talking a bullshit," Dusk wondered.

"Why would I lie about that?"

"To be unique."

"Dusk," Lyons warned.

"How do I know that you aren't just some kid wandering in from some rich territory? Or some spy from the north?"

"The fuck're you trying to accuse me of? I ride a horse like a disabled toddler, how would I come from horse country?"

"She makes a good point, Dusk," Lyons pointed out, "Nobody can fake riding a horse that badly."

"See?" Winter nodded to Lyons, "I'm a hermit, that's all."

They continued riding. The morning air was cold and had a chilly wind to it. It made Winter absolutely miserable as every movement made the cold, muddy fabric rub incessantly against her thigh.

"It's itching, isn't it?" Dusk teased, "All that frozen mud has dried out, and all you can do is itch, but it doesn't help."

"I never thought there was someone in the world who was a bigger asshole than me," Winter pondered, her fingernails raking against her muddy pants.

"Just two more hours, Daniels. Ignore Dusk."

"I'm tryin'," she muttered, still scratching.

When they did arrive in Megaton, Dusk and Lyons excused themselves to head to the clinic. Winter didn't follow them and headed straight for home. She needed a shower before she could search for Amata, who was more than likely at work. If she was lucky, she would already be home. She dropped her bag by the front door and fumbled for her keys. Just as she dislodged the key from its hiding hole deep in Winter's front pocket, the door swung open.

"I'm covered in mud," Winter giggled out a warning when Amata lunged at her.

"I don't care," she giggled, "You're alive."

"Told you," she teased lightly before kissing her. It was a clumsy kiss, with both of them grinning ear to ear it only lasted a moment before they had to pull away. Winter peeked over her shoulder and was startled at how much work the house had gone through since she'd been gone. The faded brown of the floors now had a darker shine, the white walls didn't have a spec of dust on them, and there was a couch in the living room next to a rug, "The house looks great!"

"Right?" she took a giddy half step back to admire her work, "The floors are an absolute bitch, but I made some good headway."

"It looks amazing, how long did this take you?"

"All goddamn day. I couldn't sleep last night, so I started at around three, I think?"

"Just the living room?"

A proud smile stretched across her lover's face, "Of course not. Bathroom is cleaned, kitchen floor got mopped, new sheets and pillows, I bought a set of drawers to keep our stuff in that you and I need to get tomorrow, actually."

"Anything I can do?"

"If you're up for it you can make a start on the shower. Hard to relax in there when it sounds like someone's getting murdered beside you. I'm sure you're dying for a good shower anyways."

"Fair enough. Where'd you put the tools?"

"In the spare bedroom. Wait-" Amata stood up and pointed a sponge at her, "Question."

"Yeah?"

"I'm just gonna ask, do you want to sleep separately?"

"No. Do you?"

The cutest smile Winter adored was immediately accompanied her favourite laugh, "No."

"Easy. What'll we use the other bedroom for?"

"Dogmeat can sleep there."

"He isn't sleeping with us."

"No?"

"No. Why, do you want him to?"

"I'm fine either way but I'm certain he'll be in our bed within the week."

"Well, I don't know. He certainly isn't going to be there tonight, I'm telling you right now."

/

"Please god, please god, please god," Winter whispered, holding the tap in a white-knuckle grip. She had spent an hour so far trying to clean the blockage in the pipe leading to the shower, all her training and hope rested on this final attempt before she finally accepted defeat. She turned the tap and waited as the hot water began to pour out at a good pressure. A few seconds went by, and the pipes didn't make so much as a peep.

"Ah you're a fucking genius," Winter grinned, jumping up and running to the bannister overlooking the lounge room where Amata was scrubbing, "Plumbing's fixed!"

"Really?! Hot water still works and everything?"

"Of course it does."

"Go enjoy your shower."

"Do you feel like one?"

"I can't," Amata laughed, "I've scrubbed myself into a corner."

"Suit yourself," Winter shrugged, taking off her shirt and disappearing into the bathroom. Amata smiled and went back to scrubbing, working at a stubborn stain that refused to move. Just as she was pondering getting a larger rug just to be able to hide the fucking thing, someone knocked at the door.

"God damn it," Amata muttered, taking a careful handful of steps across the living room and to the front door, "Who is it?"

"Sentinel Lyons with the Brotherhood."

"Oh!" Amata quickly opened the door. Lyons still towered over her; however the soldier's shoulders were slumped down, and she awkwardly held her helmet in her hands.

"Good morning, it was Amata, wasn't it?"

"Yes, good to see you again."

"Pleasure's all mine."

"Did you need to talk to Winter? She's in the shower right now, but she'll be out soon."

"It's nothing major, we're sorry for intruding."

"Oh," she peeked around Lyons and spotted Dusk looking in the backyard as Dogmeat played, "Hey Dusk."

"Hey, Amata. How are you?"

"Good, you can hop the fence if you want, he won't bite."

Dusk immediately took up the offer, vaulting over the small barrier and immediately rushing to play with the pup.

"You'll have to take off your boots before you come in, I just scrubbed the floors."

"Sure," Lyons leant against the outside wall to unlace her boots, "You only just got the place?'

"A few days ago, I'm trying to fix it up."

"It's a nice place. Have you given any more thought into the BoS?"

"I want to be a medic, but before I sign up, I want to learn the basics here first," she nodded.

"Understandable."

Amata heard the shower turn off and waited a few seconds for Winter to get out, "Winter!"

"What?" Winter shouted back from the bathroom.

"Lyons and Dusk are here! Don't walk around naked!"

"Okay!"

Lyons placed her boots by the front door and nodded at Amata, "Is the rug clean?"

"Yeah, it's brand new."

"Stand aside."

She got into the doorway and squatted down before leaping across the room, landing smoothly on the clean rug and not so much as leaving a toe-smear on the drying floor.

Winter emerged from the bathroom with combed back hair and wearing a scruffy shirt and shorts.

"What happened to Dusk?" Winter frowned.

"She's antagonising the dog," Amata nodded to the door leading to the backyard, where Dusk was chasing Dogmeat, who had a rope toy in his mouth.

"I need a favour," Lyons began.

"Of course."

"Your Common Room has some… not exactly pro-Brotherhood people who are staying and your hotel is completely full- "

"Of course, you can stay here. We don't have a bed in the guest room, but you're alright to use your bedrolls."

"The bedrolls will be fine. Thank you. I noticed some worn planks in your fence, I'd be happy to fix them while we wait for Dog Company to arrive tomorrow."

"You don't have to do that."

"I insist."

"Shit, well we would really, really appreciate that."

"So, you spoke to Lucas?" Amata asked Lyons.

"I spoke to Jacob. Lucas was too zoned out on painkillers to communicate properly."

"I should visit him," Winter said to Amata.

"I wouldn't for at least a few more hours, he was ranting about doing drugs in a hot spring when I was there. I'm going to drag Dusk away from the dog, and we'll get settled in here."

"Okay."

Lyons left to get their things in order while Amata went into the kitchen to get some water.

"Are you mad?"

"No," Amata frowned, "I would want you to ask me next time, but they kind of saved our lives."

"Yeah," Winter wrapped her arms around her and kissed the top of her head, "Oh, how was looking after the kid?"

"It was fine, I guess," she shrugged, "The whole thing just reminded me of Mom."

Winter nodded her head, "You're okay?"

"Oh yeah, it was a million years ago. I feel sorry for Harden, that's all."

"And Lucas?"

"I don't know… I _like_ to think he's strong enough to survive this, but I don't know."

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

Winter made herself busy by scrubbing the fridge. She was happily surprised that this outside world still had electricity and running water. Growing up, she would have sworn that any life outside the Vault, if it even existed at all, would just be scuttling around like cavemen.

Dusk disappeared once her stuff was in order and came back a while later with liquor and dinner. Lyons wasn't much of a drinker, she had a few beers, while Winter, Dusk, and Amata, got absolutely shit faced. Amata knew that she and Winter held their liquor like fucking champions, they had years of experience. Amata was drinking for fun. However, she noticed some tension in her girl as they got more and more drunk. When Winter would take a shot, she would watch Dusk with narrowed eyes. Dusk would snipe little comments to her as they drank, subtly questioning her ability to hold her liquor. They called it quits when Dusk threw up in the bathroom, but it was going to end soon anyway. Amata was practically in Winter's lap, and when Winter went into the kitchen to get some water in a vain attempt to minimise the hangover that would hit her in the morning, Amata followed her. Amata hissed filthy ideas in her ear, pinning Winter against the kitchen counter and clearly trying to start something they wouldn't be able to finish with company over. Winter, in her drunken state of mind, thought it was hilarious and managed to keep Amata's drive at bay by grabbing an ice cube and dropping it down the back of her shirt. She said goodnight to Lyons, who mercifully seemed to pick up on the cues Amata was laying down, and quickly ducked into the spare room.

"Be subtle, be subtle," Winter giggled quietly as Amata practically dragged her up the stairs, "Nice and calm."

Amata solution to that was to move slowly, creeping like a cat-burglar in an old cartoon, tiptoeing with shoulders hitched high and hands held up in a claw position.

"You're a dummy, you know that?"

" _You're_ a doofy!" Amata yelled, opening the door to their bedroom and slamming it closed behind them, "My Doofy, _mine_."

"You need to be quiet," Winter whispered.

"I will, I will," she drunkenly insisted, "You have to be worse at it, so I don't scream like last time."

"Ah so it's my fault," Winter teased.

"Everything's your fault, you do all the work."

"Well when you aren't fucked up on vodka and whiskey, I'll teach you how, so you aren't a pillow princess."

"How dare you?"

"How dare I," Winter grinned, kissing her properly while she undid the final buttons on Amata's shirt and tossed it aside.

/

Winter woke up in the middle of the night in a state of bliss. She looked up at the clean roof above her, in cool, clean sheets, in a big bed, in a house all that was theirs. Rolling over she found Amata fast asleep beside her. Having more room meant she had space to stretch out and had rolled over in her sleep. She didn't have to worry about someone coming in and stealing their stuff, she didn't have to worry about falling out of bed when Amata rolled over, she especially didn't have to worry about a big line for the bathroom, which she needed to use. Dusk had mercifully liberated from the bathroom when Winter arrived, she could see her passed out in the spare bedroom.

When she came back, Amata was just barely awake.

"You okay?" she yawned.

"Yeah," Winter nodded. This was different to Susie, she _needed_ to be in bed with her, it wasn't just a happy little bonus. She crawled into bed and opened her arms for Amata to shuffle into her grip. Winter felt her lover's flustered heart beat frantically against her chest before quickly settling into a quiet, content rhythm as she drifted off, head nestled against Winter's shoulder. Winter stroked her fingers through her hair, kissed the top of her head, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A/N Hey guys sorry for the delay between chapters, I just started with a new job so I was busy most nights. Let me know what you guys think so far and I'll have the next one up soon. Cheers :)


	14. Disarmed

In the morning Winter woke up alone. She heard a radio playing downstairs, briefly drowned out by Dusk's excitable laugh. Her hangover was only a dull ache; she figured that with a good breakfast it would be gone by lunch. She got dressed in a pair of worn out jeans and a white shirt and toddled downstairs. Lyons was nowhere to be seen, but Dusk was busy chowing down on a plate of Brahmin meat and bird eggs.

"Morning, Dusk," Winter chuckled.

"Morning," she mumbled with a mouth full of food. Amata was perched on the counter with a coffee cup in her hands; she looked absolutely fine. Her eyes weren't bloodshot, her hair was tidy and tied back, and she had the softest smile. Winter was drawn to her like a magnet. She closed the distance between them, Amata reaching out and wrapping an arm around her back when she got close enough.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey you," Amata purred, "Sleep well?"

"Like a rock," she yawned and took a sip of the coffee, "How're you doing, you were pretty annihilated last night?"

"I figured, you got up once during the night and barely moved afterwards. I'm fine, woke up and had some food, I'm good."

"Good," she smiled, "What's to eat?"

"Lyons got some meat and eggs. Sit down; I'll make you something."

"Ah, I can do that, don't worry."

"I've got it, you're good," Amata leant forward and murmured in her ear, "I owe you for last night anyways."

"You don't, but thank you."

"I'm gonna go find Lyons," Dusk got up from her chair, "Thank you for cooking, Amata."

"No sweat," she shrugged. They stayed silent for a moment until they heard Dusk closing the door behind her. Winter barely had time to turn her head before Amata kissed her, wrapping both legs around the small of her back and gently pulling her close. Winter had always hated the taste of coffee breath; however, she endured it and put both hands on the counter on each side of Amata's hips. The girl on the counter pulled away from the kiss first, just when Winter was going to deepen it.

"I love it when you blush," Amata laughed and gently pinched one of her reddening cheeks, "When you get all flustered."

Winter leant in to kiss her again, but she cocked her head back.

"C'mon," Amata warmly ran her the heel of her foot a few inches up and down her back before abandoning the hold, "You need food. I think Lyons wants you for something today."

Winter took a seat at Dusk's chair while Amata took her plates from the table.

Amata kissed the top of Winter's head, then fiddled with her hair while Winter nudged one of the books closer to her to begin to read.

"Please don't lose the page I'm on," Amata hummed in a playfully annoyed tone that still had a layer of adoration and care to it.

"Study day?" Winter asked.

"Hopefully," she sighed, "We'll see how it goes with the Brotherhood today."

"Dog Company shouldn't get here until tomorrow morning," Winter shrugged.

"They get there, and you come running to me, okay? We stay together for this one."

"Okay," she nodded. They ate together mostly in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. Winter listened to the radio while Amata read through one of her books.

"Hey, Daniels?" Lyons began, opening the door and poking her head inside the living room.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come with me?"

"Yeah, sure," she slowly rose from her chair and finished a final sip of her coffee.

"We won't be leaving Megaton," Lyons promised, "I'll meet you outside."

"Yeah."

"Don't blow up the town," Amata joked, getting on her tiptoes and pecking her goodbye, "Be safe. I love-"

Winter could see fear, regret and panic flash into Amata's otherwise warm, rich brown eyes. The adorable look on her face, combined with the dizzying happiness of her confession, made Winter grin ear to ear and lean down to kiss her. It was only a peck, despite Amata's instinct to let it evolve into something more. She pulled away slowly and watched her girlfriend's eyes calm with the same look of relief and happiness that Winter was sure was mirrored with her own.

"I love you too," she murmured.

"Daniels, c'mon!" Dusk opened the door and peered inside, "We're busy!"

"We'll talk later," Winter grabbed her blue ball cap and headed for the door.

"What?" Amata stammered.

"I'll be right back!" she laughed, "Go study!"

Winter followed Dusk and Lyons down to the market area with a skip in her step. Following them down past the clinic, she spotted a man standing with Jacob. The guy looked like someone had dragged him through an engineering closet. Tools were dangling off of him, hammers, screwdrivers, measuring tape, pliers, a giant radio looking thing strapped to his waist, a thick pair of goggles, and a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. The guy looked around his mid 30's, with an unkempt beard and messy auburn hair that trailed down to his shoulders, and he held a huge black tool box in one hand.

"Hey Jacob," Winter greeted the acting sheriff, "How're you doing, man?"

"Good, I'm doing good," he seemed to be telling himself more so than her.

"Daniels, I'd like you to meet Bomb Specialist Michael O'Hare," Lyons gestured to him.

"Just Michael is fine," he nodded and shook Winter's hand.

"How's it going, Michael? You like your work?"

Michael gave a less than genuine laugh before turning his attention to the bomb, "I would have approached the bomb by now to survey it, but I'm worried about the zealots surrounding it."

"They're batshit insane," Winter said bluntly.

"How much time will you need?" Jacob scratched at his beard impatiently, casting his weary eye at the congregation formed around the bomb.

"I don't rush with nuclear bombs, for obvious reasons," he answered, "It will depend on a lot of things, but… a while. Maybe until nightfall."

"And you know what you're doing?"

"If I fail, the first to die is me. So… yeah, I'm confident in every move I make."

"Alright," Jacob grunted, wiping his brow and nodding toward the bomb, "We're going to station half of the force to help guard the market perimeter. Let me know when you're ready to start."

"Now," he picked up the toolbox at his side, "This isn't a job you should delay."

"What do we do?" Winter asked Dusk as they started to walk down to the bomb.

"Don't do anything; you don't know how to deal with people like this."

"Do you?"

"No, but I have a shiny uniform that looks scary. You look like you just got dragged out of bed."

"Fair enough."

The sermon became more clear as they got closer. It was a mess of delirious rambling at varying volume, exactly how Winter imagined somebody would sound after spending day after day after day in the hot sun. It would probably cook your brains. The preacher was standing in the murky water with five of his followers surrounding it. When he looked up to see the sheriff approaching, his face lit up.

"Good morning, Jacob!" the preacher smiled. He clasped his leathery hands together and bowed forward slightly to greet him. He looked at the group, his smile fading and his eyes widening when he saw Michael, "Who are these people?"

"Warren, I need you to stand aside for me, friend." Jacob spoke firm but friendly.

"Why?" he fearfully took a step back toward the bomb, extending his arms as if to protect it.

"Easy, you haven't done anything wrong," Jacob held out his hand to assure him, "We've come to dismantle the bomb."

"No!" he squealed. His followers descended toward the bomb to defend it. They barely managed to wade into the water before Dusk and Lyons shoved them back.

"Move back!" Lyons ordered, "Back!"

"Get the fuck back!" Dusk barked, shoving the biggest one back with more strength than was probably warranted. They all looked weak and feeble. That didn't surprise Winter much. If she spent all day wallowing around in radioactive waters, she probably wouldn't be an Adonis of peak physical form either.

"What's going on?!" a follower ordered.

"Warren, stand aside!" Jacob ordered, "The bomb is a danger to us, to your children!"

"We have our religious freedoms, Sheriff!" Warren argued, "This bomb has created our city from the impact of its downfall. It's a gift from Atom, to defuse it, to eliminate the source of its glow, it would be blasphemous!"

"Warren, you're a smart man," he began, "You and I both want this town to be happy, for its people to be happy…"

"Atom's glow is the source of the world's happiness."

"For some, but not all. This world is Atom's creation, can you not worship the ground that he made? Why must you hold onto tokens, when his greatest creation is all around us?"

"To destroy his gifts is an insult to Atom!" he begged, "Please! I won't have myself cast aside as a defiler of Atom's gifts! Let us bathe! Let us give ourselves to Atom!"

Warren spun around and began to bang his fists against the bomb. Jacob immediately walked into the hazardous water and yanked him backward, sending him splashing down and temporarily disappearing into the murky depths, only up to Winter's shins. Jacob quickly yanked him up and helped him to his feet. Warren looked a little stunned and didn't protest when Jacob pushed him away from the bomb.

"Alright here's how it's going to go!" Jacob shouted to the gathering crowd of civilians who were watching the commotion, "Child of Atom or not, the market is closed until further notice! If you need to conduct business, please conduct it just in front of the city gates!"

"Goddamn Brotherhood!" a passer-by screamed, spitting at Dusk while another tossed a drink at Lyons.

"Everyone stay calm!" Jacob yelled.

"The bomb is safe!" a woman added, "It's been safe for two hundred years! Leave these people alone!"

"Better get to work, Michael," Winter suggested.

"Yeah, no shit."

"Everybody needs to take about five steps back!" Lyons commanded.

"Listen to them!" Jacob advised, "We're doing this in everybody's best interests."

"I won't let you defile Atom's creation!" Warren screeched, raising one frail hand and descending it downward as if to bludgeon Jacob. Jacob caught the arm and transferred the momentum to shove Warren to the ground and begin to bind his hands behind his back with rope. His followers all wailed in disapproval, however none of them made any move to protect him. A deputy trotted in and marched him towards the jails while Winter watched Michael inspecting the bomb.

"God damn it," Michael muttered.

"What's happening?" Jacob asked.

"This thing is corroded to fuck."

"Can you still disarm it?"

"I can, but it will be difficult."

"Listen asshole," Winter muttered, "Don't say your issues out loud unless you want me to keel over with a panic attack and make it one less person that's saving you from being mauled right now."

Michael continued to work silently while the tension in the crowd began to change from annoyance to anger, fear, and panic.

"You're going to blow the thing up!" a woman screamed, "You'll kill us all!"

Winter looked over her shoulder at Michael. He had a giant pair of headphones on his head that was plugged into a device strapped to his hip. Taking a few steps closer to him, even despite all of the noise, Winter could hear music blasting into his ears. She decided then and there that Michael was just fine where he was, and the only thing she could do was trust him while he worked… and also not worry so much about sudden, instant death.

What was more pressing was the thought of getting ripped apart by an angry mob. Dusk was looking pissed and had mud covering her once shiny uniform. Raising her rifle firmly in the air, she fired a warning shot when a man made a lunge for her. The crowd, including her would-be attacker, all cringed in one fluid motion. Lyons used the moment of hesitation to start barking orders, alongside Jacob and a few deputies that had just arrived, to drive the people back.

"Back!" Winter ordered a woman who was still gawking.

"It'll kill us all," she hissed, stumbling over her own feet as she went.

After a few more minutes of struggling, the market was empty. While Lyons and Jacob had a quiet conversation in the opposite side of the market, Winter took a seat in the shade of a food stall with Dusk.

"Dusk," Winter groaned, watching her help herself to some cooked food, "Pay for that."

"They won't miss it," the soldier shrugged, "You need to eat if you wanna be more than a skinny rake."

Winter reluctantly took a few pieces of meat from the plate and leant back against the stall door, "Betcha that mud is starting to itch, huh?"

"Shut the fuck up," Dusk laughed.

"Shower's all yours once this is done. Assuming we don't die."

"Normally we wouldn't be anywhere near here, we'd evacuate the area for miles, but your boy Lucas insisted against it. He didn't want to instil more panic than it was worth, and he didn't want Tenpenny's guys causing more shit when we're just sitting around in a camp all day."

"Lucas doesn't know up from down at the moment."

"True. Most people would be riding for the hills by now anyways."

"Everybody but us."

"Right. People like us aren't afraid of a little death if it means the job gets done."

"You weren't scared two seconds ago?"

"I'm used to pain, Danny, it ain't that hard."

"Why do you keep calling me Danny?"

"That's your nickname."

"I don't get a say in the matter?"

"No."

"Did someone just name you Dusk? What's your real name?"

"I'm not gonna say."

"Can't be as stupid a name as Winter."

"Yeah well- "

"Fuck!" Michael shouted, pushing himself off the bomb. Every single image she was shown throughout her life of a mushroom cloud immediately snapped through her head, an in a moment she seemed to be thinking of a million things at once, and all she could do was blurt the only thing that came to the forefront of her mind.

"I'm sorry!" Winter blurted.

"Ali!" Dusk yelled alongside her.

But… they weren't dead. Winter blinked and hesitated for just a second. It looked like the entire world was still, even Michael didn't move. Maybe her brain was fried, and this was the final image she would see before she drifted off into nothingness.

"Did we just fucking die? Am I dead?" Dusk mumbled. One breath passed, then two, then three, then finally Winter accepted that she wasn't dead, and Michael was complaining about something.

"What the fuck happened?" Winter yelled.

"I dropped my fucking radio in the water!" Michael gestured to the device that was bobbing up and down in the water.

"Hold this," Dusk shoved the plate into Winter's lap and marched toward Michael.

"Hold your fucking line!" Michael growled at her as she closed in.

"You shut your fucking mouth!" Dusk continued anyway, grabbing a handful of his shirt and yanking him close. Michael had a few inches on Dusk, and he didn't look too phased when Dusk shared a few words with him. She shoved him away, and he went back to working on his bomb.

"He doesn't give much of a fuck about anything, does he?" Winter chuckled as Dusk returned, "Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Why do you shave your head?"

"You ever wear a helmet all day?"

"Nah."

"Your hair just sweats and gets gross. It's fine for one day, but if you're on the field for a few days, and it's just hot and miserable, your hair just… you can _feel_ it. I shave it, let it grow out a little bit, then when I'm tired of it, I shave it off again. My hair's all fuzz, and your hair's got a little silk to it, it doesn't curl nearly as tight as mine. You're gonna have a super hard time with it. You keep it short or tied back, and I guess you'll be fine."

"I haven't said 'yes' yet, Dusky."

"Not verbally, but I see that hunger in your eyes when someone starts threatening you, I see you wanting to throw your weight around, however much there is."

"I don't wanna die young, Dusk."

"And here you are, staring at an atom bomb and this mother fucker is cutting wires inside it. You said you were sorry when you thought you were gonna die, why?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry for a lot of stuff I've done."

"Everybody's a bastard in their own way. C'mon, there has to be one thing."

"Amata told me she loved me this morning, I said it back, but I left… before the whole thing settled."

"Ah yeah, I thought she looked a little stunned when you were leaving."

"Am I dead?"

"Yeah, I think so. At least for a little while. That'll take a while for her to calm down."

"You shouted for Ali when you thought you were gonna go, so much for her not being your girl."

"Ha! I'm not going to call for my mother!"

"How often do you do that?"

"What?"

"For a second, when you think you're gonna and you just freeze up."

"A few times, when you see a guy with his gun on you and you're standing there with your metaphorical dick in your hands, but I would always go for my gun. Doubt it would have made much of a difference here."

"Doubt it," Winter agreed. She reached around to the ice cooler and retrieved two beers.

"Pay for it, Danny," her friend teased, taking one and clinking glasses with her.

Halfway through the beer, Michael approached Lyons and Jacob.

"It's done."

"You're sure?" Winter asked.

"Hundred percent."

"Alright," Jacob exhaled, "We'll get your guys to come in and get rid of it tomorrow morning. You think you can do it?"

"Easy."

"Okay," Lyons nodded, "Dusk, come with me, we need to start planning for the Springvale base."

"Springvale base?" Winter interjected.

"Can I have a shower first?"

"Later, Dusk. We need to get plans down for when Dog arrives."

"Are they gonna set up a base?" Winter asked again.

"The price of getting the bomb disarmed," Jacob answered bitterly as the Brotherhood soldiers walked away.

"At least the bomb's going," Winter shrugged.

"Yeah… I'm gonna go check on Lucas, okay?"

"Yeah man, let me know if you need anything."

Jacob didn't answer and kept walking to the clinic. Winter headed home in search for more food and found Amata set up on the couch surrounded by books. She could tell immediately that she was in trouble, the way Amata snapped the book shut and rose quickly to face her.

"Hey, how was study?"

"You're an asshole," Amata yelled, "You tell me you love me, and you just wander away?!"

"Whoa!"

"What kind of a damn joke was that?!"

"I thought you knew I loved you."

"Of course I know! Every time you look at me you look like your brain shuts off."

"It does. You're amazing."

"And you're an asshole! … sometimes."

"Ah fuck…" Winter muttered scratching behind her head. She couldn't lose Amata now, not when they were just getting started, "I am. I try not to be, but I am. I know that you look at me a little different because we're so close… but I'm more of an idiot than you think I am. I was thinking about it today and… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just wandered off and left you hanging like a prick."

"Wow, that's the most romantic thing you've ever said. I know you were just fucking around, and I know that you're shitty sometimes, but you aren't an asshole."

"How little you know."

"I know everything about you," Amata answered, "I know you better than you know you... and I still happily love you. And I do think that you can get better, but I love you for who you are right now… so long as you're sorry about earlier."

"I am sorry," she promised.

Amata only beamed at her, "We're a mess, huh?"

"Absolutely."

"Despite it all, though, I'm happy we're doing this."

Winter nodded and pulled her in for a kiss. When they broke apart for air, she decided now was as good a time as any to talk about their next move.

"Alright listen," Winter ran her fingers slowly up and down her girl's arms as she spoke, "BoS is leaving soon to go and handle Tenpenny, and I wanna go. But we stay together, right? That's what's important."

"It's all I want."

"So, if you're busy with studying, or you just don't want the fight, I'll stay here with you."

"No guilt?"

"No guilt," she promised, hand to the sky, "I swear."

"You're cute," Amata smiled, cupping her cheek, "I wanna go."

"What about Church?"

"I'm an information sponge, you know me. I'll cram study at night and read during the ride."

"Yeah, you always say that," Winter drawled, "You end up freaking out the night before and start blaming me for distracting you."

"You have blood on your fingers," Amata pointed out.

"Do I? Shit," Winter muttered.

"Jesus Christ, Doofy," Amata gasped, rolling up Winter's sleeve and finding a small piece of metal protruding between the webbing of her fingers, "How did this happen?"

"I have no idea," she thought she felt something prick her fingers when she sat down beside Dusk, but she didn't think anything of it.

Amata abandoned their conversation and left for the kitchen.

"Am I the practise dummy now?" Winter joked when she returned with a bottle of disinfectant and bandages.

"Practise Doofy," Amata happily corrected, "And you're actually injured so…"

"Is Doofy my new nickname?"

"Do you hate it?"

"Do I have a say in it?"

"Of course, you don't really have a nickname for me, though."

"I call you 'baby' and you melt like butter."

"That's true," Amata admitted at the wound as she began to bandage it, "Does it still feel weird?"

"Not as much as it used to, we both just kind of… fell into place. Really… really well…"

"I was talking about the wound."

"No you weren't."

Amata bit her lip to hide her smirk as she tightened the bandage, "Maybe this is a bad idea. We can't hide anything from each other."

"We've been fine so far..." Winter trailed off.

"What've you been hiding?" Amata groaned.

"Nothing, just... The bomb got disarmed."

"No shit!" she gasped.

"You didn't hear the gunfire?"

"No! I had the radio on full blast while I was studying. Three Dog drowned out everything. What happened?"

"Dusk fired a shot into the air; nobody got hurt."

"Can I see it?"

"No, we should probably just stay home, people are a little on edge."

"… What did you do?"

"Nothing!" she raised her hands defensively, "Goddamn I'm not _that_ prone to causing shit."

"Since when?!"

"You're a bastard," Winter chuckled. She lunged forward, managing to grab hold of Amata's waist.

"No!" Amata squealed, laughing and turning her body to get out of Winter's grip. Amata barely had time to put up a good fight to gain leverage before they heard the front door open.

"Hey Dusky," Winter coughed, immediately releasing Amata and looking down at the floor to hide her grin.

"Hell don't ease off on my account," Dusk laughed, "I'm just here to shower."

"What happened to Springvale planning?"

"I got out of it. Lyons wanted to talk to Jacob one on one."

"'One on one' huh?" Winter smirked.

"Ha! Lyons isn't into that whole scene. She's just wanting to make sure that the relationship between Megaton and the Brotherhood is strong."

"That still sounds like sex, Dusk," Amata laughed.

"Trust me, it isn't."

Dusk wandered upstairs to shower, the moment she was out of sight Amata kissed Winter's cheek and went back to studying.

"I cannot wait for this place to be just you and me," she breathed, "I have plans."

"Plans?" Winter asked, a little alarmed.

"Not all of them are sex-related. Some, but not all. Domestic stuff, we need more furniture and- oh! We need to train Dogmeat. Do you remember how to train a dog?"

"Kind of," she shrugged, "What did they do in movies?"

"You tell a dog to do something, and you feed it when it does it."

"There's more to it than that!" Dusk shouted from upstairs.

"You know how to train a dog?" Winter called back.

"Do I know- I grew up on a ranch, motherfucker!" Dusk laughed, "I'll show you!"

"Joy…" Winter muttered, "Thanks, Dusk!"

She didn't answer and instead just turned on the shower.

"You wanna take a shower together later?" Amata asked suddenly.

Winter almost snapped her neck whipping it around to look at her, "You seriously don't need to ask me that question."

"Yeah I do, your fucking eyes nearly bulge out of your head, it's funny," she giggled.

"Easy…"

"I know, you're just so fucking cute. Okay, I have an idea."

"Okay?" Winter frowned at her.

"We're gonna work on something, together. I'm going to cut down on me teasing you, because you don't deserve it, and you're going to work on your temper."

"I wouldn't say I have a temper."

"Honey…"

"I-" she stopped to smile at the affectionate name, "Alright. I'll work on not freaking out when somebody talks shit at me… who isn't you."

Amata beckoned her forward and kissed her, wrapping her arms around the small of her back

"While Dusk is in the shower, I'm gonna go pack for when we leave for Tenpenny," Winter murmured in between kisses.

"Okay," Amata yawned, tightening her grip around her back anyway and gently squeezing, "After we have lunch, we'll have a shower and a nap. Sound good?"

"Sounds awesome."

She heard Dusk shutting off the shower.

"C'mon, we can't be all sappy in front of other people," Winter kissed the top of her head and pushed off the couch and began to head upstairs to their bedroom, "Go and study, become a doctor."

"I'll try."

"You'll ace it; my finger's already practically fixed."

"I love you, Winter," Amata quietly called after her as she ascended the stairs.

She turned back to look at her, her adorable button nose and cheeks turning red as she blushed, her rich brown eyes alight with her beautiful smile, it was impossible to say anything else.

"I love you too."


	15. We'll See

Megaton was deathly quiet that night. The market was still locked down, and for the first time since they had arrived, the faint sound of music and conversation wasn't there. When Amata got up that night to use the bathroom, she noticed Lyons and Dusk were missing. Their stuff was still in the spare room, except for their weapons, but they didn't come home all night. She figured they would be fine; the streets were too cold and the air too tense for random people to wander through. Most civilians would be staying in their homes for tonight, and the two soldiers could handle themselves. Whatever business they were on, Amata was sure they'd be fine.

They had shown up during breakfast the next morning, drenched in sweat and looking absolutely exhausted. Lyons ripped off her helmet and ran a hand through her sweaty blonde hair as she slumped down into her chair.

"What happened to you two?" Winter asked.

"Bomb's gone," Lyons answered.

"Gone?! Did someone steal it?"

"No, the rest of Michael's squad arrived yesterday in the afternoon, we slipped the bomb out last night."

"What the fuck? How? How did I not hear anything?"

"You slept like the dead last night," Amata mumbled into her coffee cup, "It was like sleeping next to a rusty chainsaw."

Winter smirked and helplessly shrugged, "So, where's the bomb going?"

"Can't tell you," Dusk sniped back immediately.

"Top secret?" Winter joked.

"It is," Lyons said sternly.

"How's the congregation taking it?"

"They took off this morning chasing after it. We have a few scouts keeping an eye on them."

"Shouldn't be too hard, big ass bomb like that would dig huge tracks into the ground, should be easy to track," Winter thought.

"That'd be the reason why eight different wagons are heading to eight different routes. Only one of them has a bomb," Lyons smiled.

"Damn."

"Well, it is a bomb," Dusk said impatiently, "We wanna make sure some dumbass doesn't find it and blow it up. Alright, Dog is coming any minute now, you guys are coming?"

"Yeah," Winter nodded before rattling a few coughs.

"God damn," Amata frowned.

"I'm good, my mouth's just dry as fuck," she muttered into her coffee, "We're both good to go. Don't you guys want to shower or rest first? Have some food?"

"No rest for the wicked, kid," Dusk shrugged.

"One second, Winter, how would you feel if I asked if Lucas' brother and Harden looked after Dogmeat while we were gone?"

Winter took a second to think before she answered, "Yeah. Yeah, it makes sense. So long as they look after him."

"Good. He's coming over to say goodbye so- "

She was cut off by quick, quiet knocking on the door.

"Good timing," Lyons smirked.

Amata opened the door and, true enough; Harden was standing at the door with his uncle close behind him with a hand on his shoulder. Amata had barely spoken to Lucas' brother, but he seemed nice enough.

"Hey, Hardy!" Amata beamed down at him, "How are you?"

"Good," he murmured, looking down at his shoes, "Uncle David says you're leaving for Tenpenny Tower?"

"Not forever," she promised, "Only for a few days. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"How would you feel about taking care of Dogmeat while I'm gone? Would you be able to come over and make sure he eats his dinner and gets a lot of water?"

The boy's sad eyes lit up, "Really?!"

"That sounds like an excellent idea!" David declared, "How about it, Hardy?"

"Okay!" he nodded his head rapidly.

"Great! Thank you so much, Harden!" Amata grinned.

Winter was busy cleaning up after breakfast when Amata sent them off.

"What's wrong?" Amata asked, picking up on how quiet she was being.

"I just hope they take care of him; that's all."

"He's a little boy with a puppy. Dogmeat won't be out of his sight. Besides, it'll be a good distraction from what's going on with his Dad."

"That's true."

"He's still your little puppy," Amata teased, "C'mon. Let's go watch Dog Company arrive."

/

You could hear Dog Company arriving before you saw them. In the distance a cloud of dust seemed to grow larger and larger, accompanied by a low rumble. Dozens of soldiers, all on horseback, charged into Springvale, and no civilian looked happy to see them. Amata shifted awkwardly in her saddle as she watched people mutter to themselves and turn away, nobody looked thrilled that their supposed crusaders had arrived. Jacob was already waiting with a handful of his deputies; they were going to serve as representatives of the sheriff's department and as witnesses. Amata doubted that they would be doing any sort of fighting.

Dog Company had deployed roughly a hundred soldiers, though from what Amata heard it wasn't the full weight of the Company. Some "reserves" had to stay behind to help guard the Citadel. They all were impatient and seemed to look at the civilian population with impatience.

"They're eager for a fight," Lyons explained to Amata when one of them started complaining about what was taking so long.

What was, in fact, taking so long, was Washington and Jacob. They were having a stiff conversation, with Jacob seeming to speak through his teeth. Washington, however, sat comfortably in his saddle and gave the acting sheriff's anger the same amount of concern as a persistent fly that kept buzzing around his head. When their conversation ended, Jacob remained with his men, severely agitated, while Washington put his horse into an easy stride and left to speak to Lyons.

Amata fussed over securing her bag and canteen to her saddle when she heard Winter erupt into a coughing fit.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Winter grunted, "Just a frog in my throat."

"The fuck's a frog?"

Amata ignored Dusk's outburst and reached over to touch Winter's forehead, "You're warm."

"It's just the heat; I'm good."

They rode south in a group. Amata rode with a book in her lap, looking up every few moments to check she was following the correct path. The horse was doing most of the work anyways. It had been so long since she could study something she actually cared about. Learning administration, conflict resolution and filing paperwork had been almost impossible because she had no interest in learning. She got lost in these books, studying diagram after diagram and figuring out how the human body worked. On that ride, she discovered the inner workings of the heart, the process the body went through with absorbing food, and the way blood flowed freely through her veins to keep her going. The chattering of the soldiers around her had dimmed into nothingness, she absorbed each and every word, rereading parts she didn't understand and taking notes to ask a medic or Church. She wanted to know everything; she wanted to know why she got a headache, why her arm was funny when she slept on it the whole night, she wanted to know every little thing so she could help treat people. They rode past a dead body on the way. It was once a man in a decent condition, except for red raw feet that had clearly been walking for miles and miles. How would she treat that? How could she? The more she learned, the more questions she had.

By evening, they were around fifty miles out from Tenpenny Tower. She tucked her book back into her bag and dismounted from her horse. Winter was sitting on the ground cross-legged and working her way through another coughing fit.

"Here, come here, look at me," Amata held her face in her hands and tilted it up. Her eyes were sunken in, watering, bloodshot, and her nose was going red.

"Lyons," Amata called.

"What?"

"I don't know what to do here."

"I'm fine!" Winter argued.

"No, you aren't," Amata insisted.

Lyons removed her glove and put the back of her hand against Winter's forehead, "You're running a fever."

"I'm fine!" she yelled, voice thick with gunk.

"We'll set up camp in an hour; I'll get Joey the medic to give you some medicine."

"She'll be okay?"

"You tell me, medic," Lyons smiled, "She'll be fine If we keep her in the shade and off her feet. A few extra pounds wouldn't hurt, either."

"I'm right here," she muttered.

"We know, sport," Lyons smirked and ruffled her hair, "C'mon. Mount up."

Amata chuckled and helped Winter to her feet.

"You'll get sick too if you stay this close," Winter warned.

"No, I won't, I would have started to feel it by now. C'mon, there's no use running yourself into the ground to act tough, you're too skinny for that, apparently."

"You're like half my size."

"Yeah and I don't act like I'm anything but that, Doofy," Amata teased, "C'mon."

"What happened to no more teasing?"

"Ah fuck," she muttered, "I forgot."

Winter laughed, which rattled into a small coughing fit.

Once camp was set up, Winter devoured her dinner and coffee. Joey rode in and headed straight to their tent.

"Heard we had a case of the plague," Joey teased, crawling into the tent with them and taking a seat at the foot of what was their bed for the night, just a pile of blankets.

"It's just a cold," Winter dismissed it.

"I'm sure," he tutted. He lifted the back of Winter's shirt up so it reached the back of her neck.

"Easy," he frowned when Winter jumped, "Just hold your breath for me. Good, now release… again… alright."

"What's the diagnosis?"

"It's nothing serious. I'm giving you some medicine to clear out your sinuses and nose, something to help you sleep tonight, and something to clear up your lungs."

He brought out a bottle of pills and a whiskey-shaped bottle.

"You'll be out like a light until tomorrow morning," Joey said as he poured the liquid from the whiskey into a small plastic shot glass. The liquid stunk like chemicals and came out thick, "One pill and a shot of this cough syrup."

Winter took the pill and washed it down with the syrup.

"Should take about half an hour to take effect. Sleep well," Joey advised, "Anybody gets within fifty feet of this camp and we'll know about it, so don't worry about any raids during the night."

Half an hour was a generous estimate. Within ten minutes Winter was lying underneath their blankets, barely conscious. Amata had already propped herself up against her saddle to read a little more before bed and got a front-row view of watching Winter quickly becoming comatose.

"You okay?" Amata laughed when Winter buried her face into the pillow.

"I'll be awesome tomorrow morning," Winter mumbled, "You'll see."

"I'm sure of it," Amata smiled, "You're a big toughie, aren't you?"

"I'm super tough," she groaned into her pillow, laughing despite herself.

"I love you," she giggled, running a hand through her hair, "You're funny, Doofy."

"You're awesome…" Amata could barely hear her mumble before her breathing evened out.

/

In the morning Amata woke up boiling hot. She'd fallen asleep spooning Winter, and her lover was absolutely boiling hot to the touch. She opened the tent flap to let the crisp morning air cool them down. Crawling back into the tent, she reached forward to wake Winter up. She was radiating heat; her hair was thick with sweat and her mouth hanging slightly open.

"Hey," Amata whispered, nudging Winter awake.

Her lover did not wake gracefully. Her watery eyes slowly struggled open and she immediately erupted into a sneezing fit. Once she had settled down, she gave a small, guilty smile and muttered, "Hi."

"How're you feeling?"

She wordlessly pulled the blanket up over her face as her answer, rolling to her side to hide from the morning chill.

"Not feeling awesome, huh?" she smiled.

"No," she croaked.

Amata chuckled, "I'll go talk to a medic. You sit tight, okay?"

"Mmhmm."

Amata came back with some cold medication. Winter, of course, hadn't obeyed her order to stay inside the tent. She was sitting cross-legged outside, running a comb through her hair to try and kept the mess around it organised.

"What did I just say?" Amata laughed.

"I was boiling hot in there," Winter explained, "Just wanted a few minutes of cool air."

"Here," she tossed her the pill, "Take this."

"It's not a sedative, is it?"

"God no, we're travelling all day today. How're you feeling, baby?"

"Better, my eyes are watering all to fuck."

"We should head back home."

"No, I'm good," she promised, "I'm fine. I'm good."

Amata was going to interrupt her with evidence to the contrary, when all of a sudden, her girl's eyes lit up, and an elated smile crossed her face, "What the fuck is this?"

Dusk walked up wearing an entirely different uniform. It was blood orange, with a long leather trench coat with the collar up to her jawline, riding gloves, an officer's cap and black boots that were polished so well, Amata could see her face in them when she looked down at them.

"Hey, you made it through the night!" Dusk grinned, "How're you feeling, Danny?"

"I'll be fine," she giggled, "Why're you dressed like a carrot?"

"Very funny. I'm dressed as a Tenpenny Tower officer."

"They're orange?"

"Yes, Danny. They're orange," Dusk sighed.

Once again, Winter laughed. It rattled more gunk from her lungs which caused her to double over and cough.

"Damn I'm riding a few horses ahead of you today," Dusk took a few dramatic steps backward.

"Nah motherfucker, I'm giving you all of my germs- ah fuck you even have a riding crop in your pocket!"

"Mask on, Daniels," Lyons ordered, handing her a face mask like the one Church used whenever he was performing surgery, "Dog Company is an excellent company, it doesn't need the plague."

"Who's gonna catch you when you keel over?" Dusk asked.

"Worry about your own damn self," Amata muttered at Dusk.

"First time I could ever say a vegetable saved my life, so I'd appreciate it if you'd help me, Dusky."

"Daniels stop torturing the carrot," Lyons laughed.

"You wanna wear this?" Dusk argued at Winter.

"Nah, orange isn't my color."

" _Orange isn't anybody's color!"_

"Stop making me laugh," Winter begged, "I'm gonna cough out a lung!"

"Enough!" Lyons ordered, "Dusk, you're supposed to be a professional Officer for an elitist militia. Act like one."

"Yes 'm."

"Daniels, focus on not dying."

"Aye aye," she nodded.

They rode ahead, leaving the rest of Dog Company to pack up the rest of the camp and follow them. They rode down an abandoned highway for two hours, mostly in silence but Amata had plenty to look at while they travelled. The highway led to reconstructed buildings with little communities living inside. A group of kids were playing stickball behind an old apartment building; parents were chatting, markets were opening for business. Most people stopped for a moment to look at them as they rode past, and more than a few of them cast a wary look at Lyons.

"Do people like the BoS down here?" Amata asked.

"Nope," Lyons answered, "But Dusk is dressed like an officer, they're less likely to act out if they think I'm supposed to be here. You two being in civilian gear makes it easy for us too, they're less likely to think I'm here on military business."

"Won't the massive camp of soldiers down the road suggest otherwise?"

"Yeah, but they won't think this is a scouting party if one of their own is riding with us," Lyons explained patiently.

The population thinned out as they rode further south. Amata noticed the buildings got a lot nicer. Instead of them being made of tin and shoddy looking plaster, these looked like brick and mortar. The road was even well looked after, easy to ride over and clean of any roadkill or debris.

"Daniels and Amata, are you ready?" Lyons asked.

"Ready for what?" Amata asked.

As they rode up a large hill, Amata could see a small cabin at the top, in pristine white with rich, orangey-brown edges. As they rode further up, the cabin grew taller and taller, until Amata realized that a cabin didn't rest on top of the hill at all. In fact, the hill was obscuring the tallest building Amata had ever seen. Pearl white, almost immaculate, pierced the mid-afternoon sky. Hundreds of windows, dozens of balconies, it looked like luxury. The tower was surrounded by a wall, maybe twenty feet high with barbed wire on top. On the streets around the tower stood houses that were much smaller, the size of her and Winter's home back in Megaton, but all of them had the same white and brown style. The roads were like a pitch black with white stripes running down the middle. It was the kind of place Amata dreamed how places before the end of the world looked. She would love to live here with Winter one day, a nice house in the middle of a nice neighbourhood, a couple of kids.

She shrugged the fantasy off when Winter dismounted off her horse.

"You okay, Daniels?" Lyons asked.

"I'm feeling better," Winter said as she sat down on a nearby bench, "Just want to take a second."

"You're good," she nodded, "Drink some water."

Amata dismounted as well while Lyons and Dusk started a conversation about where to set up camp for the night. She sat down beside Winter and took the view in.

"Look at the size of that thing." Amata whistled.

"Wouldn't the wind knock it over?" Winter wondered, "If you stand at the very top is it hard to breathe?"

"Only one way to find out," Amata smiled.

"You wanna get to the top of that?"

"Didn't you install a radar dish on top of the Washington Monument?"

"Monument wasn't as tall as that. I mean… it _looks_ strong. I wouldn't mind being at the top and seeing what it's like. I wonder if we could see Megaton from the top?"

"How much of the world could we see?" Amata wondered, "At night, we could get a… shit… what're they called?"

"What are what called?"

"The magnifying glasses for the sky?"

"Oh. I don't know; I can't remember."

"They're called telescopes," Lyons said, "My mother has one."

"I'm sure someone will let us borrow one," Winter suggested.

"Maybe," she shrugged, "Apparently there's good booze. If we take this thing and put it on lockdown, we could party."

"Hey guys," Lyons interrupted them, "We're gonna set up camp a few hundred feet to the left here. When you're ready, come over and set up near us."

Winter rose to her feet and coughed again, "I'm gonna go help to set up."

"I'll be with you in a minute; I wanna watch the building a little while longer."

"Alright. Be careful, okay?"

"I will."

She watched Winter leave and went into her backpack. She looked over, double checking that Winter was well and truly out of the way before drawing out a pad of paper and the pencils Winter had bought her. She would apologise for not helping later; she just wanted a few moments to herself, where she wasn't studying or working. She was hardly an artist, but it was always something she wanted to learn. The Vault didn't exactly inspire her creative side. There was only so many times she could draw a chair or a vault door before it got boring. She used to try and redraw stills from the movies she watched when she was younger, whenever she could find the time. Her father would usually give her something more urgent to do anyway. But she didn't have to worry about that anymore, and this whole world had infinite possibilities. Plus, when it came to cool stuff to draw, she couldn't ask for much better than the town before her. She sat cross-legged on the bench, rested the pad in her lap, then began to draw. It was crappy, the lines weren't straight enough, and her shaping was weird, but Amata didn't care. She would practise, and she would get better.

As the sun set, she saw Dog Company begin to pile in. She looked at her drawing a final time, praising herself for how well she had drawn the angled roof of one of the buildings, then packed it away into her bag and walked down the hill. Winter, Dusk, and Lyons were sitting around a fire while Lyons poked at some meat cooking over it.

"Do you still have that soup in a can?" Amata asked Winter as she approached.

"I have two cans, why?"

"I'll cook them for dinner."

"Don't bother," Lyons interrupted, "I'm cooking enough meat for all of us… though in hindsight some more soup would be good for your system, Daniels."

"I'll make you some soup when the meat's done," Amata pecked her cheek and sat down. When she held out her hands to be warmed by the fire, she noticed some lead shards from the pencils had rubbed into her hands.

"Were you drawing up there?" Winter asked, leaning in and smiling.

"Yeah, a little."

"Can I see?"

"No, I want to get good first."

"Alright," she nodded, "But I'm all for it when you wanna share."

"Thanks, Doofy," she murmured, not loud enough for the soldiers to hear.

"Don't forget the salt, Lyons," Dusk whispered.

"I know to add the salt, Dusk," Lyons chuckled.

"Do you cook often?" Amata asked.

"If I wasn't a good infantryman, I would have become a cook," Lyons mused, "Assuming my father didn't woefully object. If his only kid became a line cook, I don't think he would have been too happy."

"It's great," Dusk said, "All the guys have freshly cooked meals if they go out on a deployment that's only a few days, like this one. All the chefs work overtime to make fresh bread, really nice stews, then they freeze them and give them to us to heat over a fire each night. Lyons likes fresher stuff though, not that I'm complaining."

"That's nice," Amata smiled.

"It's a constant advertising pitch," Lyons said, "We want people who would otherwise become raiders to know what the perks are for joining up with the BoS. One of them is a guaranteed meal at the end of every day. That's hard to come by, especially up north if the harvest isn't the best or if you're constantly on the road and not earning a lot of money. We get a lot of food and cattle from neighbouring chapters of the BoS, so we don't really have to stress if there's a food shortage."

"What if there's a food shortage here and in neighbouring chapters?" Winter asked.

"Then we feast upon the weak," Dusk hissed, sinking her teeth savagely into a steak, then responded with a mouthful of meat, "Only the strong survive."

" _Then_!" Lyons interrupted her soldier, "We start eating into our reserves. Citadel has rations for a year. Dusk eat your food with a knife and fork, please."

"Sorry, Skipper," she chuckled.

"Tomorrow we're going to open up negotiations. Myself, Washington, the sheriff's department reps, and a fair chunk of the company will be down here while we speak to the Tenpenny representatives. We'll have guys watching every corner to see if anybody wants to prod at our line of defence while we're still in the negotiation phase. Dusk is probably going to be on night patrol if the whole operation draws out that long, which I think it will. Tomorrow, people will be all over, so you guys need to stay out of the way. No asking what someone's doing, no getting in the way with horses, nothing like that. Got it?"

"I understand."

"Alright. I'll be out dealing with rich morons all day, any questions you find Dusk. She should be around camp all day anyway, isn't that right, Dusk?"

"Yeah," she sighed, begrudgingly.

/

Winter was too sick to take part in the quiet get together a few of the soldiers were having after dinner, so while Dusk ran off in search for beer, Winter and Amata went to bed. Winter took another cold pill and was trying to wriggle out of her trousers when a loud, vicious clap of thunder rocked through the camp. Amata jumped and cringed into her blankets, which Winter couldn't help but think was a little funny. Wordlessly, as fatigue began to set in, Winter closed the flap to their tent and made sure it was secure before burrowing into bed with her. Just as Winter wrapped her arms around her, the rain began to set in. Harsh, whirling winds pelted the tent with rain, and it just tripled Amata's anxiety.

"We're fine," Winter murmured in her ear. The heart beating against Amata's was slow and calm; it was enough to put her at ease. Winter held her differently to how she usually did. She usually just wrapped an arm around her waist and just hooked the other arm underneath her own head while she slept. Tonight, as Amata flinched and cringed, she put both arms around her, one around the small of her back and another around her shoulders to the back of her neck, her fingertips resting against the shell of Amata's ear, which she gently toyed with as a means to calm her down.

"It's just the rain," Winter promised, "We're totally fine."

"The weather's going to rip the tent to shreds," she whimpered.

"I went through a storm like this before, we're fine. We're totally fine. Think about it," she pressed a kiss to Amata's forehead, "Think about how shitty it would be if the tents got ripped apart from just a little bit of rain? They're built to withstand stuff like this."

Another clap of thunder sounded and made Amata jump. Winter's arms locked firmly around her and held her in place before shifting her weight to keep herself as close to Amata as possible.

"We're good," Winter murmured as she began to drift off to sleep, "We're absolutely fine."

"Fuck I hate this," she muttered.

"We're okay," she breathed.

Winter's confidence carried on when she slept, but Amata still lay wide awake. Her heart was hammering in her chest; she burrowed her face so far into the pillow her nose pressed against the hard dirt beneath the tent floor. It took hours for the storm to stop, and then the hard, booming noises of the storm faded off into the gentle patter of rain.

When she woke up in the morning Winter was already awake and coughing as quietly as she could.

"Hey," Amata rasped.

"Ah I'm sorry," Winter muttered, "I was trying to be quiet."

"How're you feeling?"

"Better, a little bit better. You okay? You sound sick."

"I'm alright. I'm exhausted, though."

"Yeah, it was pretty loud last night, right?"

"You wouldn't know; you slept like a baby."

"I did," she smiled, "Can I kiss you?"

"Why're you asking?"

"Because I'm a germ pit."

"You're not a germ pit," Amata giggled, sitting up and pecking her lips.

She opened the flap to the tent and spotted Joey already awake and reading one of Amata's books over a cup of coffee.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Joey. Try and keep warm?"

"I'll try," Winter nodded, "Watch out for mud, it'll swallow your boots."

True to Winter's word, the mud swallowed her boots when she walked. She crossed the field, observing that the tents had, in fact, remained undamaged throughout the night.

"Hey Joey," Amata greeted as she waddled to the medic's tent.

"Good morning," he smiled, "You have some good material here."

"Thanks."

"How's your patient?"

"What?"

"Your patient, the plague victim?"

"She's feeling better. Still not great, but better."

Joey tossed the book back onto the table and spun around on his stool. He opened his medic bag and looked over his shoulder at her, "Would you describe your patient as stubborn and non-compliant?"

"Extremely."

"Here," he tossed her a small bottle, "Give her another one of these. Can't have too much sleep when you're fighting off a cold."

"Much appreciated."

"I'll finish up my notes today for you; some stuff you should know."

"Thank you; I appreciate that. How much do I owe for the meds?"

"Give me the bottle back by the end of the day. and I'll be happy."

"Thanks, Joey."

"No problem, kid. Oh! And keep her cool. Just dampen a rag and keep it on her forehead. Wring it out, don't just drape a soaked rag. Make sure she's out of the rain, don't let her wander around outside for too long if she needs to get up and use the bathroom."

"Got it," she nodded. She crossed to the other side of the camp and opened her tent. Winter was lying on her side, looking through one of Amata's medical notebooks. Just coming out and saying that it was another sedative and that she would miss out on a lot of prep work for the day, Winter would take that as weakness. The only thing that made Winter stupider than her ego was when Amata got flirty with her. So that was her best option.

"Your nurse is here," Amata hummed.

Another laugh rattled out of her chest, which stopped immediately when Amata straddled her lap. For a brief moment, Amata saw the familiar cheeky and lustful look dash through her lover's eyes. For a moment Amata thought she might proposition something. Instead, all that came out was a warning.

"I might die," Winter warned.

"I'm just giving you some medicine, Doofy," Amata teased, "Your lap is just really comfortable. Open your mouth."

Winter obeyed, and Amata dropped the pill on her tongue.

Winter swallowed and immediately made a face, "Urgh, tastes like shit."

"It's not great," Amata agreed, "But it should reduce the shit growing in your lungs."

"Why'd you give it to me like a baby?"

"You are a baby," she giggled, leaning down and kissing her burning forehead.

"When're we leaving?"

A small, almost coy smile played at her lover's lips.

"What?" she chuckled.

"I like when you take charge."

Amata cocked her head, "Do you?"

Winter made an uncertain face, "Outside of the bedroom, I mean."

"Alright, rest up here, okay? We'll have a nice, relaxing day while you recover."

"I wanted to be involved," Winter weakly complained.

"Next time, and Lyons told us to stay out of the way anyways," she took the pill out of her pocket and handed it to her, "Here."

"What is it?"

"Aspirin. It'll help with your fever."

She swallowed the pill and laid back down.

"Best part coming up," Amata put the damp rag over her head, "I'll find some soup for you when you wake up."

"Thank you," she murmured, "Amata?"

"Mmm?"

"You gave me a sleeping pill, didn't you?"

"I didn't," she lied, "But sleep if you can."

She gave her a lopsided smile, "I love you. You're a terrible liar but thank you."

"I'll be right here beside you," Amata leant forward and kissed the tip of her nose, "And I love you too."

Winter was out not long after that. Amata made sure her lover was warm and comfortable, then returned to studying. She set up her books in a semicircle around her, propped up one book against Winter's side, and began to take notes. She was developing a mastery of the different parts of the heart when a dark figure loomed over the tent.

"Anybody in there?" Dusk called.

"Just a second," she called.

"Where's Danny at?" she asked as Amata crawled out.

"She's dead to the world. I'm trying to break her fever."

"Ah. I was gonna ask if she was up for coming with me for patrol tonight?"

"I'll ask her when she gets up, but I think she'll be up for it."

If Amata couldn't hear Winter breathing, she would have been sure that she was dead. She barely moved until late in the afternoon, when she rolled over and sent a small pile of books tumbling.

"Hey sleepy," Amata giggled as she drowsily propped herself up on her elbow, "How'd you sleep?"

"Amazingly," she yawned.

"You look a lot better."

"I feel okay. How long was I asleep?"

"Around eight hours."

Winter dragged her hand down her face and broke out into another yawn, "Alright. You want me to cook tonight?"

"Actually, Dusk was wondering if you were going on patrol with her tonight."

"Oh! Hell yeah, I'm down for that," she sat up properly and started fishing around for her clothes.

"Here," she tossed Winter an overshirt, "Layer up and try to stay dry."

"I will, I promise. I'm gonna go find Dusk. What're you going to do?"

Amata gestured to the mess of books around her.

"Have fun," Winter smiled, "I'm proud of you."

"Be safe," Amata called out after her as Winter darted out of the tent.

Dusk was easy to find. Just a few tents over, Winter was disappointed to find that she had changed back into her normal BoS uniform.

"Naww. I had like, five more carrot jokes at the ready."

"Yeah well now's not the time for joking," Dusk snapped, then quickly laughing at Winter's startled expression, "I'm just kidding, kid. But seriously, do what I say, or we could both get killed."

"Got it."

She followed Dusk down the hill and into the outskirts of the empty town.

"This is my element," Dusk sighed happily, "Big, wide open spaces… we'll find a nice little post…"

"You setting up a date, Dusky?"

"Fuck no, I'm not making out with your snotty fucking face," she smirked, "Alright. We're heading for that old post office."

"Won't people be living in there or something?"

"You see anybody around?"

"No…?"

"Tenpenny would have heard that a bunch of Brotherhood soldiers were moving towards his dipshit tower. Him all and his buddies, they all live in this area and would have taken off sometime yesterday or the day before. Notice how the building quality gets better the closer we get to the tower? These people are the richest people in Washington DC; maybe in what's left of the country except for maybe the rich guys in New Vegas, they aren't gonna risk their lives for nothing. When Lyons, Washington and that guy Jacob met with some of Tenpenny's officers today, anybody who was still here would probably have been ordered to fuck off. There's no point in civilians getting caught up in this, especially _rich_ civvies. Kind of hurts this place's bottom line."

"I thought this place was secure?"

"Well, now that you and I are here, it isn't rock solid. We have a few squads patrolling the streets, you and I are just on flank duty."

"What're we charging him with anyway?"

"Attempted mass murder, maybe genocide," Dusk muttered before sipping into her canteen, "Conspiracy to detonate a nuclear weapon."

"Is that a crime?"

Dusk only shrugged.

"How're they taking it?"

"Amazingly, nobody shot at anybody. But it was a _lot_ of 'who the fuck do you think you are' and 'you have no business' and 'you have no proof'."

"I can see where they're coming from; we don't have any written evidence."

"We have witness statements and witnesses," Dusk said, "These people only care about their money. The guys defending Tenpenny and his bullshit tower would happily take a tour naked through Megaton after it was nuked if it meant they got some money at the end of it. These people are different to us, Danny. They aren't fighting to survive, because they _are_ surviving. They're fighting so that they don't have to be like us, having to actually work instead of getting by with smooth words and some money to make this all go away. We're nothing to them, and the fact that we just stroll in here, all brass balls and guns, demanding we drag their money source out of his tower and just make them stand there holding their dicks, well… I don't think that'll sit right with a lot of people."

"So, we let them spend the night fortifying their positions?"

"Lyons gave Tenpenny the night to think on it. She knows he isn't going to willing walk to the gallows, and she knows that his men won't piss away the best job a merc could ever have. They're going to spend the night fortifying their positions; they're gonna make sure the gate leading in is super sturdy, the barbed wire extra sharp, but none of it's going to matter. One way or the other, we're gonna get what we want."

They approached the Post Office and knocked on the door.

"Hello?" Dusk called out, "Anybody home?"

After a few seconds of silence, Dusk took a few steps back.

"I'm gonna kick this door in, you're my wingman, okay? You watch my back."

"I've got your back," she nodded.

Dusk slammed her boot against the wooden door. The area around the doorknob exploded in splinters and Dusk immediately rushed in.

"Brotherhood of Steel! Get the fuck down!" Dusk shouted, pointing her gun around the empty room. When she was sure nobody was present, she lowered her gun.

"Alright, I'm gonna teach you how to clear a room," Dusk took her to a door, "Alright. If you're on your own, you hold the doorknob in your non-dominant- you're right-handed, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, left hand here-" she grabbed Winter's hand and put it on the doorknob, "Then you wanna turn your body, so your left hand is facing the door like… that. Perfect. Then you put your weight on your left leg. Then raise your right leg. Higher… higher… straighten it."

"Fuck you!" Winter laughed, realising Dusk was just teasing her.

"Hey, I had an additional five steps ready; you're smarter than of the recruits we teach. Alright, I was serious about putting your weight on your left leg, though. You wanna be able to just charge in there."

"What if it's a pull?"

"Then you kick the door in. Ready?"

"Ready."

Winter flung the door open and ran in.

"Ah, you fucking doofus," Dusk tutted.

"What? I swept the area!"

"Swept the area? Okay. You ran into the dead centre of a square room. The only way you're gonna kill someone is if someone shoots at you and accidentally hits his buddies."

"How do we even know if this building is clear?"

"I cleared half an hour ago," Dusk dismissed it immediately, "Here. I'm gonna show you how to clear a room, okay? You stand in the middle here; put your sidearm away, I don't wanna get shot."

Winter nodded and holstered her gun. Dusk opened the door and immediately took a step back, aiming her empty hands in a firing position.

"See how where you are, in the centre of the room? I can see you and the other half to your left. If I wanna see what's on the right, I'm gonna slowly ease myself in. Now I don't have to worry about this side of the room anymore, there's nobody there, and there isn't a way for more people to get in from that side. So, I have one half of the room left. I'm gonna slowly ease in," she took a few careful steps out, stepping out of the open door's cover and pointing, "See how I'm sweeping the area of the room?"

"Yeah,"

"In basic, they'll go over it a bunch more times," Dusk shrugged, "But if you're trained as an infantryman, which you will be, you'll need to know this shit."

"I appreciate you taking the time."

"Ah you aren't a huge pain in the ass," Dusk shrugged, "C'mon, let's set up home for the next few hours."

The post office was two storeys; they cleared each room and eventually reached the stairs leading to the roof.

"Alright," Dusk opened the utility door to get to the roof and shut it behind them. She brought out a thick metal chain from her pack that was protected by thick, see-through plastic and wrapped it around the door handles before locking it.

"Home sweet home," Dusk yawned, "Plenty of shade, nice cover, beautiful view of the area. Couldn't be easier if I had tried. How's your aim?"

"Okay, I guess," Winter shrugged.

"Not to brag or anything-"

"Doesn't sound like you."

"Shut up, but I'm easily the best in the BoS."

"Uh huh."

"Dude I'm for real; you could learn a few things from me."

"For real?"

"Yeah man, I was shooting squirrels with a BB gun when I was a kid. I'm a bona fide dead eye."

A fine sheen of sweat was beginning to coat Winter's hands from within her gloves. While Dusk was bragging about her shooting achievements, she removed them and tossed them to the side to let her hands cool off. She dropped her bag by the side of the ledge and started to search for some food.

"Do you have another pair of gloves?" Dusk asked while she pawed through her own bag.

"Nah I'm all g-"

"Get down! Grenade!" Dusk screamed.

Winter completely froze like a small rat in front of a galloping horse. Dusk lunged and tackled her to the ground while Winter desperately searched for the grenade.

"Bam!" Dusk shouted. Winter lay completely still for a moment, and when she realised that nothing had happened, quickly shoved Dusk off of her.

"Get off of me!" Winter croaked, "What the fuck happened?"

"This happened," Dusk got up and grabbed Winter's gloves, tossing them over the edge of the building and into the mud.

"What the fuck?!"

"Never take off your equipment during a job unless you absolutely have to. Don't take off your boots when you sleep; don't take off your gloves. Doesn't matter how hot your hands get of how gross your socks feel, you run the risk of getting your stuff destroyed."

"You could have just told me that!" Winter yelled, despite the gunk in her lungs, "Goddammit, Dusk…"

"Don't be a baby," Dusk sighed, "Here."

She tossed Winter a pair of gloves she kept in her bag. Pitch black gloves, with a small blue BoS emblem where the knuckle of her thumb would be.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Don't sulk," Dusk chuckled, "C'mon, we'll be up here for a few hours."

Winter sat beside Dusk and took another look at the building, "How do you think this will end?"

"Badly. For them, not for us," Dusk shrugged.

"Will our guys die?"

"Maybe one or two, I don't know."

"What makes you so sure?"

The smile Dusk gave her wasn't a condescending one, it was alive with excitement and happiness, "You don't know how we do things out in the open, do you, Danny?"

"No… what? Do you have some kind of bomb or something?"

"Not a nuclear bomb. But you'll see."

"Should I be excited?"

"I wouldn't get your hopes up too far. They might give the old coot up."

"I thought he wouldn't be here?"

"His friends wouldn't be here. Tenpenny thinks he has a silver tongue and could talk a wild dog out of a fresh steak. Lyons isn't the type to back down over some smooth words and wine. The question isn't whether or not Tenpenny wants to give up; it's whether or not his paid-for security team want to die for him."

"So, what're we supposed to do?"

"We're the flank defence. We see anybody coming around this corner to try and peck at Dog Company from the sides; we're going to peck back. Make sense?"

"Yeah."

"Now, your aim won't be as good as mine, that isn't a humble brag that's just the way it is. I want you to get your spare ammo cartridges ready. If someone comes towards us, and they will, I want you to stay calm, above all else, I'm not gonna let anything happen to us. I want you to squeeze off a shot when I tell you to. If they get too close, or there's too many, I'll take over."

"What if it's a bunch of them?"

"They won't charge our main position. We're dug in tight, and they don't have the horses. They're going to try and blow up supplies or something stupid like that. Their best plan would be to just hold up in their tower, and that's exactly what we want them to do."

"Do they know what's going to happen?"

"Probably."

"Then tell me!"

"No!" Dusk grinned, "I want to see you get surprised."

"Asshole," Winter chuckled, "Give me a hint, at least."

Dusk opened her mouth to speak and then quickly closed it, "Look at that."

Winter followed Dusk's gaze and frowned at the two growing black specs in the distance.

"Get your rifle ready," Dusk murmured, "Don't feel any pressure. We aren't in any danger."

Winter aimed her rifle and waited. She'd shot at people before, this was nothing new, but her heart still hammered as she prepared herself.

"Lower yourself down a little," Dusk nodded, slowly pushing her shoulder down, so Winter's left elbow rested against the brick ledge of the building, "The kick won't be as bad if you have something to brace yourself on. Now what I want you to do, is fire a warning shot when they get within three hundred feet. Don't try and hit anybody this time. Just a warning shot."

"My perception of distance is off," Winter said.

"Alright, I'll let you know. Remember to breathe, nice and easy. We wanna keep your heart beating as low and as constant as you can get it. You know how to pull the trigger?"

"Yeah, you squeeze; don't yank."

"Exactly. Fire a shot now."

Winter squeezed the trigger. The shot went wide, deliberately of course. The horses reared and struggled underneath their riders.

"Watch," Dusk breathed, "See if they turn around."

Once the riders had control of their mounts, Winter saw them turn around and head back.

"Fire another warning shot."

Winter obeyed and watched the horses and their riders disappear around the corner, out of sight.

"Good," Dusk smiled, "They'll be back with more guys later. How're you feeling?"

"Sick, but fine."

"It's alright to be nervous," Dusk shrugged, "Hell I was puking up a storm the first few times I was doing stuff like this."

"You don't get scared?"

"Not much anymore. If I die, I'm dead."

"You think you're going anywhere?"

"After I die? Dude, I don't fucking know. If I'm going to hell, then there's nothing I can really do to change that. When I die, I die; I'm not gonna worry about it, it's gonna happen eventually."

"Might happen to me sooner than later," Winter chuckled before erupting into another coughing fit.

"BoS has easily the best medical facilities in Washington. If you aren't getting any better, I'll take you to the Citadel and get you some help."

"They help civilians?"

"If the soldiers agree to it, sure."

"You'd do that for me?" she tried to sound teasingly bashful, but it came out as genuine when she had to cough again.

"Depends on how good your aim is. Drink some more water and spit it over the side."

"You mind if I start hacking up stuff?"

"Go for it, dude. Doesn't bother me."

Winter started to hack up some gunk from her lungs and spit it out while they waited, "I've never been sick like this before."

"You're fine. You spend your whole life in a sterilised shoe box I suppose it makes sense that you get your ass kicked by some real diseases. You'll kick it, buddy. Just takes a little time. Just keep hacking that crap out, and you'll be fine."

Dusk kept looking through her binoculars while Winter rested. Putting her hat over her face, she was almost comfortable to sleep. Just as she began to drift off, Dusk smacked her leg.

"Get up, get up, get up," Dusk whispered, "Company."

"How many?" she mumbled.

"Only ten."

"Ten?!"

"You're gonna be fine; just hold on a minute."

Dusk shouldered her rifle and fired a warning shot. Winter scrambled to grab her binoculars and used them to observe the incoming party. Ten riders, all of them galloping towards them with hard, determined, vicious looks on their faces. Ten people, against two. Panic began to grow in Winter's guts, but Dusk simply rolled her shoulders and a small smile was born on the corner of her mouth.

"Watch this shit," Dusk muttered. The first shot pierced what looked like the chest of one of the horses. The second clipped a rider's shoulder. Third, fourth, and fifth hit dead on in the rider's chests. Dusk went to reload her rifle; the method was so smooth it was almost robotic. She cocked the rifle and fired again, this time hitting another horse's chest. The next shot was a miss.

"Fuck," Dusk muttered.

"Damn, best in the west, huh?"

"Shut the fuck up," the marksman laughed. Two more shots later, only two riders remained.

"Damn these pricks are brave," Winter frowned at the two remaining riders. One of them had blood on his arm from his fallen comrade; the other seemed to be more unsure of himself. Instead of hunching forward in his saddle, he was leaning back a little. His eyes were wide open, and he seemed to be slowing down, just a little.

"Alright," Dusk lowered her rifle, "Let me see your aim."

Winter quietly coughed as she aimed, resting her elbow on the ledge just as Dusk had told her to do.

"Don't think of your target as an individual, not in combat," Dusk whispered as she took aim, "He's the enemy. Nothing more. He wants to kill you; he wants to kill Amata. What're you gonna do?"

Winter answered by firing. The rider jerked his body upward and he slumped off of his saddle as a small spurt of blood erupted from his tunic. On the way, his leg got tangled up in the reins and he got dragged away by his horse. Her eyes began to follow the dead man, absorbing all of her attention and making her dip her rifle downward.

"Don't get distracted, the fight's not over," Dusk urged, "One guy left!"

Winter aimed again, but she hesitated. The rider had stopped dead in his tracks, his hands gripping the reins of his horse as he looked up at them.

"What're you doing?" Dusk uttered.

Winter didn't pull the trigger, she just watched. He wasn't reaching for a weapon; he was looking around at the bodies strewn out across the field. Some of his friends, the ones whose horses Dusk had killed, were limping away with what looked like broken legs or arms.

"What're you going to do, Daniels?" Dusk asked.

Winter had her rifle trained on his chest, her finger resting on the trigger. Her heart was thudding in her ears; her mouth was drier than it ever had been.

"Don't forget to breathe," Dusk reminded her. The man had his shoulders bouncing up and down like he was crying, his horse was fighting against him, and eventually, he turned around to retreat. Winter kept his rifle trained on his back as he rode off.

"What're you doing, Daniels?" Dusk asked again. She wasn't yelling; she wasn't scolding, it was just… casual.

"I'm not going to shoot him," Winter said.

"Alright," Dusk shrugged, "He's getting away."

"You shoot him then."

Dusk simply shrugged and took a sip from her canteen. Winter lowered her rifle and took a deep breath.

"When he comes back to his command post, his superiors will find some morale in him, one way or the other," Dusk said, folding her arms over the ledge and resting her chin on her forearm, "And he'll be a soldier again soon. In an hour or a day, he'll be back to wanting to kill you."

"So, I'll kill him then."

Dusk only smiled.

"Do you disagree?"

"I'm just telling you what's going to happen. Or it might not? He might just throw down his rifle and run home."

"I don't need the passive aggressive stuff, Dusk. Just tell me."

"You want me to tell you whether or not your decision helped or hindered us? I don't know. Can I tell you a story?"

"Sure."

"It was a story my Mom used to tell my brother and me when we were growing up. She read it in a book once, the story is apparently hundreds of years old, she didn't make it up, but she memorised it the day she found out I had aspirations to become a soldier. Stop me if you've heard the story."

Winter settled down beside Dusk as she began to speak.

"A long time ago, there was a farmer, just working his land, minding his own business. He's got a horse that he uses to plough his land, just a normal workhorse. Well, one day, the horse up and dies. Everyone living in the village with the farmer says, 'What a horrible thing to have happened'. The farmer shrugs and says, 'we'll see'. The people are so taken aback by his spirit and his optimism, hell it isn't exactly common, especially nowadays. So, the village gets some money together and buys the guy a brand-new horse. Well, not brand new, in working condition. The farmer's wife is overjoyed, right; they can start working again. 'We're so lucky!' the wife freaks out, but the farmer just pats the horse and utters, 'we'll see'."

Winter waited for her to continue, and after a few moments of silence uttered, "Is that the story?"

"No, give me a second I'm having trouble remembering it exactly…" Dusk lowered her head to concentrate, "Okay! So, after a couple of days, the horse up and runs off. The same thing, the village says 'damn that sucks', farmer says…" she pointed at Winter.

"We'll see," Winter uttered.

"That's right," she smiled, "Horse comes back. Village says 'yay', farmer says…?"

"We'll see."

"Right. So, a couple of days go by, and the farmer's young son takes the horse out riding. Somewhere along the way, he falls off his horse and busts his leg. Probably because a pair of skilled marksmen got in the way."

Winter chuckled, and Dusk continued, "The same thing, 'that sucks, 'we'll see'. Couple of days go by though, and the farmer notices men from the army riding up to his homestead. He abandons his work for a second and approaches them. One of the soldiers tips his hat and says, 'Hello. We're here to recruit your son for the war.'"

"What war?" Winter asked.

"I don't know, pick one. It isn't important. Anyways, the man leads the soldiers into the home and gestures to his boy. The soldiers look at his busted leg and leave, and they don't want a kid who can't walk right. All the other young kids in the village got drafted for war; this one didn't. The wife is overjoyed. The man says…?"

"We'll see."

"That's the end of the story."

"It's not a bad story."

"You know the meaning behind it?"

"I think so…"

Dusk smirked and rolled her eyes, "The point is to not worry about what consequences will come from the things that happen to you. You do what you think is right in that moment, and it either works for you or against you. Something great could happen to you, and it will blow up in your face later, or vice versa. The only thing that matters is you stay true to yourself. No matter what, Danny. Okay?"

"Okay. I got you."

"We could die tomorrow, we could die five minutes from now, and I've seen a lot of people die, Danny. Nobody dies instantly. Some of them know they can't be saved and just lie there, staring up into the sky and they have time to reflect. Be true to yourself, protect the people you love, and you won't have a lot of things to regret when you bleed out."

"That's… oddly poetic."

"Yeah well… I don't know what else to say."

Winter nodded, and for a while they sat in silence, observing the small carnage they had created. Resting her arms on the ledge like Dusk, she watched and was kind of hoping that the fallen would rise up and limp away, but as seconds turned into minutes, the only movement she observed was the wind breathing false life through their hair and their clothes.

"Look," Dusk murmured, pointing at the lights at the very top of the tower, "Tenpenny's watching over us."

Winter looked up at the top floor illuminated in a golden light.

"Right now, he's having his last true feast," Dusk said, "Tomorrow, everything will change for him."

"I think he'll give himself up," Winter decided, "I don't think a man like that would let so many people die, just for him. Your conscience can only handle so much guilt."

Dusk exhaled and shrugged her shoulders, returning her gaze to the darkness in front of them, "We'll see."


	16. Taking Tenpenny Tower

When Winter returned from patrol, it was at around three in the morning. Amata had not slept for a moment. Whenever she tried to read, the words bounced off her brain, and nothing was being processed. She wasn't worried about Winter; she would be fine. The camp was restless the whole night, always the sounds of people walking past the tent, of a horse whining, a dog barking, equipment clattering or wagons groaning and churning. The excitement of what was going to come tomorrow also buzzed incessantly in her guts. She chose to read in the vain hope it would stir sleep, and as three am rolled around, a set of footsteps walking to the tent was drowned out by the zip opening and her girl's head poking inside.

"Hey, baby," Winter smiled, crawling the rest of the way to kiss her hello, "What're you still doing up?"

Amata didn't answer. Instead, she tossed the book aside and wrapped her legs around the small of Winter's back, pulling her in for a hug. A few silky locks of black hair brushed and tickled at her cheek when Winter settled on top of her, the simple act making her heart flutter and immediately put her at ease.

"How was patrol?" Amata asked.

"Fine, neither of us got hurt," she promised, "How were things here?"

"Fine… Were you smoking?"

"Maybe," she mumbled.

"Your mouth tastes like a garbage fire," she muttered, "That's not great for your lungs."

"I'm feeling a lot better," she pressed a few lazy kisses along her jawline.

"Good," she smiled.

"What time do we have to wake up?"

"Two hours," Amata murmured, slowly running her hand up and down her back, "Why?"

Winter picked up on the flirty undertone of her voice and laughed, "You need to sleep."

"No, I don't."

"You're out of your mind."

"You're the one who's kissing me on my neck."

"Because I like you," Winter protested, albeit somewhat unconvincingly, "I'm not trying to start anything."

"It's been a few days since we've messed around," Amata pointed out, "C'mon. We'll be quick."

Winter glanced to look at the closed tent flap, which Amata used to pepper kisses along her cheek, jawline, and neck.

"Nobody will bother us," she whispered in her ear, "C'mon…"

Winter didn't resist when Amata eagerly pulled her down.

"Alright," she sighed, "But we'll be _quick_."

"Very quick," Amata promised.

/

The moment Winter woke up, she knew she'd made a mistake. She was exhausted, sprawled out on her back feeling like she'd been run over by a horse. She wasn't feeling sick anymore. Instead, all she felt was exhausted. The worrying knot in her gut wasn't so bad now, but her eyes felt heavy, and her head was empty.

She had stolen an hour's sleep, and she thought she might have been better off just not bothering to sleep at all. Despite it all, she was feeling a lot better than she had been yesterday. She took a few deep, cautious breaths and was relieved when she didn't have the urge to cough.

"Don't move," Amata murmured when Winter went to sit up, "Just chill for a minute… please…"

Winter smiled and wrapped her arms around her back.

"If anything happens to either of us today," Amata began, pulling back and looking her in the eye, "I love you."

"I love you too, baby, but we're going to be fine."

"I know, I just wanna make sure you know."

"You're cute," she kissed the tip of her button nose and sat up.

/

"You're looking well," Lyons commented when Winter approached her just outside of camp.

"I'm feeling a lot better."

"You're exhausted, though. You have bags under your eyes."

"I'll get over it. What're we doing?"

"All due respect, at this point you're a civilian. Your job is to not get in the way."

"Can I fight?"

Lyons made a face, "I don't want you getting hit by friendly fire because you're not wearing BoS uniforms."

"I wasn't hit in Galaxy."

"You're right; you weren't…" Lyons rubbed the back of her neck, "Okay… fine. But I can't afford to babysit you this time. You and Amata both are on your own. Dusk is going to be busy too, so don't rely on her. You want my professional opinion; you need to stay here… but I can't order you around. Yet."

Winter smiled and unshouldered her rifle, "I wouldn't miss this, not for anything."

"Alright," Lyons sighed, "Just try not to die, alright? It'll really bum Dusk and me out."

"I'll try," Winter laughed.

Despite Lyons' warning, Dusk was on Winter the moment she saw her. She leapt over a dying fire to get to her, and the soldier was all smiles this morning, even after only a couple of hours sleep.

"How'd you sleep?" Dusk asked.

"Barely."

"Nerves?"

"…Yeah."

"Ha!" Dusk chuckled, seeing right through her slightly ashamed look, "Alright. So, this is the play. You and Amata both are going to be _way_ at the back. If I see you on the front line, I'm going to pick you up and drag you to the back myself. I need to focus; I don't have time to worry about you trying to be a hero."

"I won't, I swear."

"Alright. You'll be fine."

"Are you scared?"

"Nah., I think this will be over quickly."

"That big surprise you're mentioning?"

"Maybe. What do you think I'm talking about?"

"Dusk, I never know what the fuck you're talking about."

"Good. Good luck, Danny."

"Don't call me Danny."

"Fuck you."

They parted ways with a smile, and Winter set off to check if Amata was ready. Her girl was ready to go but was clearly more nervous than Winter was.

"I just want someone to fire the first shot," Amata groaned as she paced back and forth outside of the tent, "Then I can focus."

"I know what you mean, but we're going to be all the way in the back. Nothing will happen."

"You are not going to leave my sight, right?"

"Of course, I'll be right beside you."

"No running off to be a hero," Amata added, "Not unless I get to come too."

"I promise," she groaned, "I've already gotten the lecture from Lyons and Dusk. I'll be stuck to you like glue."

They sat together in silence for a while and Winter had some time to think. She looked warily at the tower. It was huge; it had so many windows for people to fire from. The road leading up to the tower had buildings on either side, and sometime during the night, it looked like BoS had managed to put up some concrete barriers on the road. How they managed to do it without getting shot at, Winter didn't know. Maybe Tenpenny still held out a glimmer of hope that he could talk his way out of things?

"Move out in ten minutes!" a soldier shouted. Amata's breath hitched beside her.

"We're good," Winter reached out and gripped her hand, "You know, we don't have to do this. We can just stay right here and watch."

"No," Amata cleared her throat, "No. It wouldn't be right. We've come this far. Just… you have to _swear_ to me that you won't leave my side."

"I _promise_ ," she said again.

"Okay," Amata stood up and held out her hand to help Winter to her feet, "I love you."

"I love you."

/

Dog Company had split itself into halves. One half was going to approach from the road and attack the tower from the front; the other half was going to attack to the side. Winter and Amata were ordered by Dusk to accompany the side party. They followed the very rear of the group, ensuring they were out of the way and not bothering anybody. Nobody was mounted, and all of them hid behind more concrete barriers that they had erected. There was some quiet chatter, and despite the hard looks on the soldiers' faces, a few jokes seemed to sprout up between the ranks, usually met with some nervous chuckles. Winter had held onto the binoculars Dusk gave her and was busy looking at Lyons. Someone handed her a bullhorn as she walked out into the open. Her uniform was looking a little bulky around the chest area, which Winter chalked up to her probably wearing a bulletproof vest.

"Allistair Tenpenny!" Lyons shouted into the mic, "The Brotherhood has given you ample opportunity to decamp from the property and surrender yourself to us. I'm giving you one final chance to surrender before the Brotherhood opens fire. You have _five minutes_ to surrender yourself, or your building _will_ be fired upon, and you _will_ be removed from the building by force."

Lyons lowered the mic and waited.

"Won't he shoot her?" Winter asked, to nobody in particular.

"If he shoots the Elder's daughter he's guaranteed to be killed. Right now, I think he just wants to wear this Company down into the dust and run off while whatever is left of this chapter is picking up the pieces," Amata theorised, "He's tried the charismatic way, and it didn't work. Good luck to him."

A minute passed, then two. As Winter watched the time on her watch advance to three minutes, a sharp crack bit through the air.

"Get down!" a few soldiers shouted a few milliseconds away from one another. Amata and Winter both ducked their heads down and all cringed as gunfire erupted from both sides. As the gunfire intensified, Winter realised that Amata and Winter were both safe, and not doing anything.

"No, Winter stay down!" Amata begged.

"I'm going to be fine," Winter promised. She put her hand on the side of the barrier to steady herself and quickly peeked her head upward. BoS soldiers were opening fire at the building; it seemed... a lot less frantic than the fighting at Galaxy News. Most of the soldiers were behind cover and staying there, sitting instead of crouching. It all appeared so… casual. Not the desperate, filthy fighting they had seen in Galaxy News, this looked very slow and almost careful. Nobody was advancing; nobody was shouting orders, only the occasional returning of fire, which mostly consisted of a few shots for a rifle. One soldier was hit in the shoulder and was given medical attention almost instantly by a nearby medic.

"Hey!" Dusk grinned, suddenly vaulting over their particular cover and landing between them.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Winter shouted, "You scared the ever-loving shit out of me!"

"Good!" she laughed, "How're we all doing?"

"Aren't you busy?"

"Not for a few more minutes," she shrugged. The radio at Dusk's shoulder started squawking. A woman's voice, calm and collected but sounding like she was in a blender, told Dusk something. The only thing Winter could pick up on was "inbound in five minutes".

"Five minutes!" Dusk shouted to the other soldiers.

"Birds in five minutes, people!" another soldier hollered.

"Birds?" Winter frowned, "Your secret plan is just a bunch of fucking birds?"

"Yup," Dusk giggled, "We're going to let loose a huge swarm of crows to peck at the eyes of our enemies."

"… Are you fucking real?"

"No! Goddamn, you two are gullible."

"Fuck you, if you're hyping this shit up for nothing, I'll be so mad," Winter muttered.

"Dude just chill out. Do you hear it?" Dusk asked.

"What?"

"Do you _feel_ it?"

"The fuck're you talking about?"

Dusk pointed to behind Winter's shoulder. Behind her, against the early morning sun, were three small black specs, from this distance they were around the size of her pinkie nail.

"What're those?" Winter frowned.

"You'll see," Dusk grinned.

"Missiles?"

"Close."

"Dusk I swear to fucking god!"

"For fuck's sake! What is it?" Amata yelled, irritated at both Dusk's vagueness and Winter's frustration.

"Vertibirds," Dusk smiled. The droning grew louder and louder; then Winter realised what they were as three of them roared only around fifty feet above their heads.

"Holy _shit_!" Winter shouted. The "birds" were huge vertical take-off and landing aircraft, with propellers mounted on the left and right-hand sides. The powerful engines roared and screamed while they soared towards Tenpenny Tower. Once they got to within a hundred feet, they veered out and performed a wide circle around the building. On the sides of each bird were two huge doors with a minigun poking out. The guns opened up and began to pour bullets onto the tower, sending an avalanche of plaster and mortar showering down onto the ground. The three birds circled the buildings like vultures around a carcass, pouring round after round after round into the building. They moved so quickly that it seemed almost impossible to hit the gunners with any small arms fire. Only then, after a few passes around the building by the birds, did Dog Company charge. One hundred soldiers emerged from the safety of their cover and charged without a moment's hesitation, sprinting to the tower as it became engulfed. Someone from one of the tower's windows fired what looked like a missile at one of the birds and, for a moment, Winter was sure it was going to hit, but the bird simply dropped out of the sky and let the missile sail on into the distance. Just when everyone was certain the aircraft was going to crash into the ground, its engines whirred into life again, and it began to rise upward to join its companions to do another run.

The birds only pecked at the tower for a few more circuits before backing off, flying a few hundred feet away to, as Winter guessed, make less noise so leaders could communicate with their soldiers, but Winter just felt like it was a devastating blow to the people inside. Only a few meek spurts of fire came from the tower after that.

Amata had abandoned any thought of safety and had been watching the whole event unfold by peeking over their cover. Most of the Brotherhood soldiers had penetrated the huge hole in the side of the security wall.

"C'mon!" Winter urged, placing a hand on Amata's shoulder to get her attention, "Let's get in it."

She started running with Amata right behind her. Winter's eyes were fixed on the tower, looking for any sign of somebody aiming at them. Despite being in the wide open, she couldn't find anything. The tower looked like shit now, with huge bullet holes weeping dust, brick and mortar onto the ground below. What was once a nice courtyard with green grass and beige pavements was now covered in a thin line of white gunk as the BoS carved their way into the tower. They heard a great explosion as the main doors were breached, and a huge explosion of intense gunfire as the BoS met resistance. But this was what they thought they heard, it wasn't what they could see, and Winter wanted to see as much of it as she could.

Winter was the first of the two to enter the hole in the defensive wall and was happy to find the alleyway empty, save for one Brotherhood soldier. He had his back to the wall and was clutching desperately at his hand. Winter barely had time to look at him before she heard footsteps coming from the other direction. Turning on her heel, she spotted two men in orange running around the corner.

"Hey! Stop!" Winter shouted. The man in front raised his gun but didn't get time to fire before Winter squeezed off a shot. The shot hit him square in the chest, and he crumpled to the ground; however, he still jerked his hand upward and managed to fire off one shot. The shot went too high, sailing well and truly over Winter's head. _Remember to breathe_ , she told herself, taking in a breath before shooting the other man as he aimed his rifle. Once both had been dispatched, she turned around to check on Amata, who during that whole time had been standing in the complete open, looking after the wounded man.

"Amata!" Winter yelled after her, "What happened to staying in cover?"

She ignored her and instead buried her hands inside her bag, ripping out bandages, wound cleaner, and tape.

"You're okay," Amata assured him while he struggled. His index finger was gone, an injury so unlikely but so easy to treat Amata was almost happy about it.

"My fucking trigger finger!" he wailed, "My fucking- ugh!"

"You're alright," she promised him, "You'll still be able to shoot with your middle finger, right? You can fight and flip off the enemy at the same time."

The soldier was in too much of a state to laugh, but it didn't deter Amata.

Winter heard the familiar crunching of boots on dirt and raised her rifle again. A dark blue uniform darted around the corner and before Winter could lower her rifle, the medic's full rage was projected onto her.

"Don't fucking point your gun at me!" Joey roared. He swatted the rifle away and crouched down beside his soldier, "Goddamn, Flinders! Where's your finger?"

"I don't know, sir!" the soldier bawled.

"Relax, buddy, this is nothing we can't fix," he tapped him on the top of the head before observing Amata's work, "Good… now keep the pressure on the bandages tight. You don't mind being a guinea pig, do you, Flinders?"

"Just fucking fix it!" he screamed.

"Don't be a pussy, you're not going to die," Joey scolded, "Keep the pressure on the wound, don't worry about the bone sticking out, I'll amputate it later."

"What?!" Flinders screeched.

"Calm the fuck down," Joey giggled, "Not like you're losing your hand."

While they worked, Winter seemed to forget about the reality of where they were. It was difficult to remember that because very little was actually happening around them. Maybe it was because they'd gotten so used to gunfire it was just background noise. Only a few pops of gunfire went off every couple of seconds. Amata wasn't paying any of it any mind. Instead, she was glaring at the wound, following Joey's instruction to the letter.

"Alright, that'll do," Joey nodded, giving a pat to Amata's shoulder, "Flinders, can you make your way back to camp?"

"Yeah… yeah, I think so."

"Alright," Joey turned to both of them, "I'm gonna get back into the fight. I think there are more wounded guys in there."

"Can we go too?" Amata asked immediately.

"Sure, just hang back. Don't get in anybody's way."

"I know."

"Stay behind me," Winter ordered Amata. It made sense at the time, she was a better shot, and if she got shot instead of Amata, she would have been fine with that. As they rounded the corner to prepare to enter the building, they didn't see any dead BoS, but they did see a few wounded.

"They're already being helped!" Joey yelled at Amata when she darted to help a medic who was tending to a soldier's wound, "Find somebody that's alone!"

Winter only cared about making sure Amata was okay. Her girl was incredibly distracted and a danger to herself. She'd become so transfixed on finding a wounded soldier to help; she wasn't paying attention to her own safety. Numerous times when they would round a corner, Amata would simply run out without looking. Winter had grabbed a handful of her shirt and ripped her backward and out of harm's way.

"Stop it!" Winter shouted above a small burst of gunfire that rang out above them, "Get your shit together!"

Reality seemed to come back to Amata, at least a little. She found her feet with Winter's help and was anchored by the older girl keeping a hand on her shoulder.

"One corner at a time," Winter told her as they moved, "You can't help anybody if you're bleeding out."

They ran up the small steps and through the main doors into the main lobby. What greeted them was the immediate aftermath of a blood bath. Around a dozen Tenpenny soldiers lay dead on the ground, their bodies riddled with bullet holes and strewn around the lobby. Tucked to the side of the lobby, an organised row, lay a collection of five wounded BoS soldiers, each being treated by a medic as the sounds of gunshots rung above their heads.

"Where is everyone?" Winter asked.

"Running up to get to Tenpenny," Joey explained while he worked.

"Aww…" she looked up almost longingly. She could hear fighting floors above her; she would give anything to catch up and join.

"You promised," Amata reminded her, seemingly reading her lover's thoughts.

"You're right" she nodded, trying her best not to sound disappointed.

Winter, despite being the only child of a doctor, was no help with treating the wounds. She spent the afternoon basically as a pack mule. She helped soldiers onto stretchers and carried them to "wounded wagons" where they were taken back to camp. Once the wounded were taken care of, she started to unload supplies and carry them into the lobby. Amata was free once the wounded were dealt with and helped sort ammo in case reinforcements arrived, it all became very mundane. The sounds of battle got more and more muffled the further the fighting went until all they could hear was an almost gentle popping sound.

The whole lobby stunk of blood and gunpowder, so when a soldier called Winter outside to help, she went happily.

"God fucking damn it," she cursed at the Tenpenny bodies they had stacked in a pile.

"Hey, you civvies are supposed to help," he shrugged helplessly, "Help load them onto the wagon."

Almost all of the bodies were covered in blood, some with wounds far more gruesome than others. As Winter bent down to pick up one man, she quickly discovered a giant, gaping hole where his face had been.

"God damn," she gagged, "That's nasty."

"Damn straight," the soldier agreed, "Here, you take his shoulders, and I'll take his legs."

"Great…" Winter hoisted the dead man up and could swear she hear something falling out. Like oil out of a generator, thick, oozy brain matter leaked out of the back of the man's head, dripping down onto Winter's kneecaps as she stood up.

"Ah for _fuck_ ' _s_ sake!" she shouted.

"Suck it up," the soldier grunted as they started walking, "Don't worry. The amount of shit we're looting from this place tonight. I'm sure you'll be able to find a replacement pair of pants."

One body at a time, they got them loaded onto a wagon. They took the wagon out to the outskirts of the town and dumped the bodies onto a pile of wood and set it alight. Once they were sure the flame was going to hold, they rode back to Tenpenny Tower. The lobby was bustling with soldiers when they arrived, and a small herd of around twenty Tenpenny soldiers was being led out of the gates at gunpoint. Dusk was laughing and joking with a few soldiers, and when she turned around and her, her eyes lit up.

"You're alive!" Dusky grinned, wrapping Winter up into a bear hug, "Ah your dumb ass lives for another day!"

"Fuck you! Put me down," Winter laughed.

"Dude, we're gonna get so fucking _shitfaced_ tonight!" she laughed, "Nobody's dead! We took Tenpenny Tower with a couple of fucking bullet wounds!"

"Nobody died?" Amata questioned in amazement.

"No! Flinders lost a finger, but that's all that was lost! Birds! That's why we use the goddamn birds!" Dusk yelled, "You and me, Danny! I'm gonna make up for my poor performance the last time we drank! I'm not gonna stop until you're a mess on the floor! We're going to do more damage to this shit show tonight than the birds did this morning."

"What happened to Tenpenny?"

"He's being held in one of the penthouses in the top floor tonight! He's got like twenty guys with him, and he's going nowhere! I'll see you guys in a bit; I'll be right back!"

Dusk wandered off, probably to find more alcohol.

"Fucking lunatic," Winter laughed.

"C'mere," Amata pulled her into another hug. The tight ball of tension in her gut, born from the fear, adrenaline and frustration from battle immediately withered away into nothing. Amata looked up and kissed her cheek, then her lips. She took Winter's hand and guided her into the lobby once more.

The group of soldiers, around fifty that had stormed to the top of the tower, looked significantly more battered than the ones that had stayed behind. Every couple of minutes a gentle "ding" of the elevator revealed a small party of wounded soldiers being wheeled out, and thankfully all of them left the tower alive.

Three soldiers stood on top of the desk to reception where a swarm of soldiers were reaching up to grab liquor.

"Yo! Civvies!" one of the soldiers shouted, "What do you want?"

"Whiskey!" Winter hollered.

A bottle of whiskey was tossed, and Winter caught it. She snatched two shot glasses from the bar and immediately started pouring two shots.

"Bottoms up, 'Mata," Winter grinned.

Amata took the shot with grace; she always was a fan of whiskey.

"Alright! There're two hundred rooms in this place! Everybody take your goddamn pick!" a soldier yelled, slamming down a huge drawer of keys.

"Where's Dusk?" Winter yelled over the noise of a group slurring out a song.

"Fuck her," Amata yelled back, "I've been listening to loud and annoying things all day. Let's go find a room for the night."

"Do you think they'll let us?"

"Let's go see."

Winter and Amata were "only" given a suite on the eighth floor. A drunk soldier had tossed them the key before wandering off in search of more booze and drinking buddies. To be honest, Winter wasn't really expecting too much. It'd be… what? A big bed? A shower? Yay. They took the elevator up to the eighth floor while doing three more shots each.

Opening the door took them both by surprise. The floor had a thick fur rug that covered almost the whole room, and the bed was bigger than Winter had ever seen. Five people could lie shoulder to shoulder, and they would still be able to sleep comfortably.

"Look at this place…" Amata drawled. She dumped her bag at the door and wandered in the middle. She crouched down and ran her fingers along the rug, then immediately rolled onto her back and started to clumsily remove her boots.

"Feel how soft this shit is!" Amata yelled, "I could fall asleep on the rug! Forget about the bed!"

Winter obeyed and left her socks and boots at the door, also abandoning her brain-matter-stained pants. The rug was warm and silky soft, and so thick that half of her foot disappeared into it whenever she took a step.

"Found a bullet hole," Amata pointed at the ceiling.

Winter yanked off the blankets and checked that there was nothing sharp underneath before falling onto her back on the bed.

"Ooh good lord," Winter groaned. She sunk into the mattress as it immediately welcomed her, and she only just now remembered that it had been almost two days since she had last slept.

"Baby," Winter murmured.

"Yeah?"

"Come here."

Amata crossed the room and giggled, "You look like you're being eaten by a marshmallow."

"Lie down with me; you won't believe this shit."

Amata chose to jump onto it lying face down. She too, made a groan of contentment as the bed began to swallow her up.

"We live here now," Amata decided, face pressed into the bed, "Either that, or we're stealing this bed."

"We can steal… a third of it. I can probably cut half of the mattress and haul it back here."

Amata giggled, "It's huge."

She lifted her head from the pillow and smiled goofily at her.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" Winter chuckled.

"Deal with it," she giggled, pressing a lazy kiss to her lips. Winter smiled and leant her head up, catching Amata's bottom lip with her teeth when she went to pull away.

"Don't bite," Amata groaned.

"You like when I bite," she murmured.

"You're so fucking tired," she cooed, albeit in a bit of a slur, "Doofy can barely keep her eyes open."

"I was up all night," she protested, lying limp as Amata straddled her lap and unscrewed the cap of the whiskey, "I would have gotten a better chance at a nap if somebody could leave me alone."

Amata shook her head as she swallowed another mouthful of whiskey, "Nuh uh. Mine. You come in, all cowboy-like with a rifle strapped to your back, and you expect me to not jump your bones?"

"You're _really_ fucking drunk," she giggled.

"So are you!" she protested, handing her the bottle and letting Winter take a few more sips before taking it off her hands.

"We'll sleep tonight," Winter murmured, closing her eyes, "We'll bang and be hungover in the morning."

"Joy kill," Amata muttered, still kissing her forehead and her nose, "G'night, baby."

"Good night."

A gunshot woke both of them up the next morning. They both had somehow woven themselves into a tangle of limbs and sheets overnight, and for a moment the very present danger of gunshots wasn't enough to convince Winter to untangle herself and get out of bed. It wasn't until the second shot that Winter ran to the window to check, rifle in hand. The source came from two soldiers with their rifles in the air herding a group of prisoners into an improvised holding area while one prisoner lay bleeding on the ground.

"What's going on?" Amata frowned, peeking underneath her arm to look.

"I think someone fired a warning shot."

"What do you think is gonna happen to the prisoners?"

"I have no idea. Nobody will die, though. Not unless one of them does something stupid."

Winter turned away from the window and kissed her good morning, "What do you want to do today?"

"I don't know," she giggled, feigning being shy, "How long do you think we have the room for?"

"No idea. Maybe the BoS will forget about us for a little while…"

"Can you do me a favour?" Amata asked, tucking a strand of Winter's hair behind her ear.

"Anything."

Amata kept the shy act up. Before they started dating, Winter had seen her go shy when she was honestly uncomfortable or nervous, which wasn't often. Now they were in a relationship, she realised that she used it to get what she wanted, and Winter was becoming more and more helpless to resist it.

"Can you wrap me up in a burrito blanket, like you used to do for me when I was sick?"

"Sure," she chuckled.

In a minute Winter had the covers wrapped around her tight, with only her head and feet poking out

"Don't you dare even think about it," Amata giggled when Winter glanced down at Amata's exposed feet, "I will never sleep with you again if you tickle me."

Winter only kissed her.

"Actually..." Amata trailed off when they broke apart, "What're you going to do now?"

"I was gonna probably read and nap some more. Why?"

"Can you help me study?"

"I _just_ got done turning you into a burrito."

"Yeah... ask me stuff in my notepad."

"Oh," she realised, quickly reaching into her bag and looking for her notebook, "How're you feeling? Hungover?"

"Nah… cosy. We need to find a bed like this for home; I'm serious."

"If we can afford it. It's made of feathers, I think."

"I don't even know."

"Alright. I'm gonna…" Winter scanned the workbook, "Present to the clinic with an injury; you have to diagnose me. Right?"

"Right."

"Okay. I 'present' to the clinic complaining of a sprained… what the fuck?"

"What's the word?"

"Hallux. The fuck is a hallux?"

"That's your big toe, Doofy," she giggled, "You came into the clinic because you stubbed your big toe."

"Don't be a smartass," she laughed, reaching down and tickling the sole of her foot.

"Stop it!" Amata squealed, cringing and struggling against her bonds, "Asshole!"

"Don't mess up the burrito," she laughed, "I worked super hard on it."

She went to pin her down when someone knocked on the door.

"We were too loud," Amata hissed.

"Yeah we were too loud in this bullet-riddled building," Winter rolled her eyes, climbing off of her and walking to the door.

"Hey," Lyons whispered like she wasn't trying to wake anybody up, "You guys are okay?"

"We're good, just messing around. Do we need to leave?"

"We're leaving tomorrow morning at around eight, just head out by around seven, alright?"

"Got it."

"Alright I'll…" she peeked over her shoulder and chuckled at the sight of Amata, "I'll leave you two to it."

"It's just a burrito!" Amata yelled desperately, much to Lyons and Winter's amusement.

"Oh!" Lyons remembered, just before Winter shut the door, "Also, Dusk and some other soldiers in Dog Company are slapping together a baseball game, you're more than welcome to join if you have the time."

"Yeah? Thanks, I might check it out."

"Alright. I mean what I said about tomorrow, though. Don't hold up the other soldiers by sleeping in tomorrow or dragging your feet."

"We'll be outside at quarter to seven."

"Good kid. Stay safe."

When she shut the door, she started to get dressed. Amata was in no hurry, she was still wrapped up in her blanket burrito but was blushing so hard she had turned a deep shade of red, "I hate myself. I want to die."

"Don't be a baby," she laughed, "It's nothing. Look, we can see your pant legs, see?"

"Still…" she sighed, still content with staying in her wrap for the time being, "You're going to go play ball?"

"I'll check it out," she shrugged.

Amata made a small whining sound of disapproval but was very quick to change her tone, "No. Go."

"You sure?" Winter joked.

"I didn't mean it like that. You haven't played baseball in forever, go."

"What about you? You're a good fielder."

"I'm happy here," she shrugged.

"Alright, you rest up. I love you, burrito."

"Shut the fuck up," she giggled, "I love you too, Doof."

/

"Are you sure this is safe?" Winter asked, looking warily out at the open space around them. The field was just like the one in the Vault except it was a lot bigger. The field was cordoned off by a chain link fence, but it was in the middle of another few fields, with goal posts for soccer and football. It was so well maintained and surrounded by green grass that she just felt bad for the dead grass and half cobbled together fields that they had in Megaton.

"We're fine," Dusk shrugged, "We've swept the area a bunch of times and have guys patrolling the perimeter. You know how to play ball?"

Winter paused for a moment and chuckled, "I mean… I _think_ I do. I played inside a bunker so… the rules might be modified."

"Can you hit?"

"I'm more of a fielder."

"Alright then go sit in the outfield for a while, you'll be running so get ready."

"Damn, the outfield?"

"Prove yourself, and we'll see about getting you into a better position," Dusk smirked, "Go on, we'll have fun, I promise."

So, Winter trudged into the outfield as the pitcher tossed the opening pitch. The sharp crack of leather on wood rung through the air and Winter glanced up in time to see the ball soaring upward and toward her. She took off into a sprint, looking up and just spotting the ball tumbling towards her. It was a sight she'd seen a thousand times during her childhood, only this time there was no wall for her to run into, just a wide, open space. She spun on her heel and caught the ball, much to the joy of her teammates.

After only a few hours, Winter had proven herself and made a few fast friends within the Company. Any thoughts Winter had about them thinking that she was just an annoying civilian hitching a ride proved to be pointless. She laughed as they talked and joked while they waited for a chance to be at bat and listened intently as they talked about the battle and what would come next. One thing that was on everybody's mind though was their "fair share".

"I've got five watches and a bottle of expensive perfume for my girl," one soldier nodded, "Amazing the shit these idiots left behind when they turned tail."

"I got four bottles of wine, god knows how old it is," a female soldier boasted.

"Fucking good luck hiding that from the CO's," another soldier warned, "Keep maybe two. Four is excessive."

"I got a nice new leather wallet, some cash and some decent books," Dusk bragged, "What'd you get, Daniels?"

"Ah… I hadn't really thought about it."

"We're sitting on a gold mine. Get something before it all gets taken. You think this baseball equipment is ours?"

"It's not?" she frowned at Dusk.

"Fuck no."

"Oh… can I keep my bat and glove?"

"So, fucking polite," Dusk laughed along with the group, "Go and ask the guy who owns them."

"I thought that these people packed up and left?"

"Not a lot of time, I guess," Dusk shrugged, "These people are rich as fuck though. I wouldn't cry too hard for them."

Winter didn't give the matter much more thought. The amount the Company was taking as their "fair share", who would notice a missing baseball bat and glove? It was in perfect condition; the glove was even well oiled. They played until the mid-afternoon sun became too unbearable and they all decided to break for lunch.

"You did awesome, Danny," Dusk grinned, hand lazily draped across her shoulders as they walked, "Not much of a hitter, but you're young. You'll learn. We've got one more night here, you and Amata wanna grab some good grub with Ly and me?"

"Good grub?"

"You ever had lobster?"

"Hell no."

"Lyons found some lobsters in the kitchen last night. They're still alive and _prime_ for eating. Most of the cooks, they're down in the kitchen right now and're firing up some good bread and stew."

"Then why does Lyons want to cook?"

"She likes it," Dusk shrugged, "And I certainly don't complain. Go find your girl; we'll meet in my room."

Just as Dusk was rattling off the last of her plans, Winter spotted a soldier walking down the hall they just passed. In his arms was a long black cylinder with a tripod.

"Oh _shit_ , hey buddy!" Winter spun around on her heel and ran back to get him, "Is that a telescope?"

"Yeah," he shrugged.

"Can I borrow it?"

"Take it," he shrugged, dumping it unceremoniously into her arms, "Just make sure that it's either broken or in the wagon by tomorrow morning. Any technology you find, it's either broken or belongs to the Brotherhood, yeah?"

"Got it."

Winter tucked the telescope under her arm and jogged back to Dusk, "Change of plan. We meet at the rooftop."

"Shouldn't be too bad," Dusk agreed, "Nice Summer's night, we won't be freezing our asses off."

"You'll get to look at the moon."

"Fuck yeah. I'll hit Lyons up and check it's cool with her. Nice work, Danny."

/

Winter returned to their room and found Amata had spent another day studying, surrounded in a circle by books, pens, and notepads. Her head whipped up at the sound of the door opening, and the same happy grin greeted her that always did.

"Hey, Doof."

"You wanna try lobster?" Winter asked, tossing the bat and glove into the corner of the room.

"For real?"

"Hell yeah! We've got a whole thing planned on the roof tonight. The stars will look awesome, and we'll have an amazing view."

"Shit, let's go now!"

"I told them to meet us upstairs in twenty minutes," Winter grunted as they made their way up the steps to the roof, "I want to show you something on the roof first."

Amata's eyes went wide, and her cheeks went a bright red before uttering, "What?"

"Just c'mon," she grinned, "It's a surprise."

"What kind of surprise?" Amata asked nervously.

"Well, we aren't going to jump off, it's not that bad," Winter laughed, "C'mon!"

Winter bounded up one flight like an idiot before she finally clued on to why Amata was nervous about Winter excitedly taking her up to the roof, on a brilliant starry night, for a special surprise and a nice dinner.

"Oh!" she stopped and turned around to look at her almost petrified girlfriend, "Oh! Um… look… it's nothing… big. Okay?"

"Nothing big?"

"Nothing… life changing."

"Oh!" her girl sighed in relief and ran a hand through her hair, "I mean… I like big surprises just not… so early, you know?"

"Totally!" Winter agreed, "I totally get that. But this is nothing like it, I swear. We'd… talk about those types of things first, right?"

"Totally!" Amata echoed while nodding her head rapidly, "Communication… knowing where we are with big surprises, that's important."

"We're idiots," Winter chuckled.

"Totally," Amata got on the tips of her toes and pecked her lips, "Now c'mon. Show me the surprise."

Winter guided them up to the roof and walked out. Thankfully, nobody else was up there, and nobody had moved the telescope.

"Holy shit, that's a telescope!" Amata gasped, "Where'd you find it?!"

"Borrowed it," she shrugged helplessly, "Go find something cool."

Amata fussed over the telescope and managed to get the focus right while Winter looked up at the sky on her own. She looked back down at Amata, fussing over the semantics of the thing and being a general dork. She wrapped her arms around Amata's waist and pressed a kiss to the back of her ear and held her for a moment.

"What?" Amata chuckled and glanced over her shoulder to look at her.

"Nothing," she smiled, "You're cute, that's all."

"You didn't have anything else, did you?"

"Huh?"

"I'm being serious, you don't have anything in your pocket?"

"God no," Winter laughed, "We're moving fast, but not that fast. I'll propose tomorrow."

"What?"

"I'm joking, for fuck's sake," she giggled, "I'm gonna keep threatening it, though, because that deer-in-the-headlights look you get is hilarious."

"Shut the fuck up," she grinned, "C'mon. I wanna try and find a planet before Dusk comes charging up here and takes it from me."


	17. Asking for Forgiveness

Despite sleeping very well the night before, Amata was still tired as she watched Dog Company mount up to leave Tenpenny Tower. The wagons were fat and straining with soldier's "possessions" that had acquired during their very short campaign, and most horses had a load of bounty to carry as well. Tenpenny had been taken away sometime during the night by a small group of BoS, at this point; however, no soldier cared too much about what was to become of the man. Everyone was well rested and happy about the successful operation. As far as Dog Company was concerned, Allistair Tenpenny was merely an excuse for a good fight and a decent weekend.

However, Jacob and the small band of Megaton deputies were irritated at how things had gone. Not only had they risked their lives fighting to capture a tower that was ultimately going to go to a bunch of retired high ranking BoS from other territories as well as serving as yet another outpost, the one man that they had wanted out of it was not in their custody. It came to a head when Jacob almost ran over a few BoS soldiers on the way to speak with Washington about the matter.

"So, I'm supposed to go back to Simms and tell him it was all for nothing?" Jacob argued with the veteran soldier. For the small collection of soldiers watching, it was a funny sight. The BoS' horse and rider were both taller and wider than the Megaton sheriff's mount and deputy, so it looked like a boy on his pony scowling up at a giant.

"You're going to go back to Simms and tell him that Tenpenny's going to have an additional hundred or so charges put on him," Washington answered, "Some of my guys almost died capturing this place. He'll answer for that."

"He also almost killed a thousand people in and around Megaton."

"And he will answer for those crimes as well," the soldier leant down and spoke to him like he was speaking to a child, "Look, he's going to be put on trial in the Citadel, I'll do what I can to see he gets hanged in our new Springvale base."

"Fuck that Springvale base."

"Jacob for fuck's sake," Winter muttered into her morning coffee, "Let them run through their judicial system, he'll face trial for what he did, and he'll hang for it. What's the problem?"

"Who the fuck're you to give me advice?"

"I'm not giving you advice; I'm just saying chill out. Simms won't care so long as Megaton's safe and the guy that did it isn't in a position to try again."

Jacob gave her a filthy look, "Nice bat, by the way. Where'd you find it?"

"Crammed up your ass," Winter answered, "Fuck off. Don't take your wounded ego out on me."

"You should get into a career in politics," Amata sighed as Jacob kicked his horse into a gallop to go be with his men, "Don't rub it in his face."

"It's so much fun, though."

"You stirring shit, Danny?" Dusk giggled, riding up to them with an easy saunter. Dusk, like the rest of Dog Company, was in a good mood; however her uniform was decidedly more well-fitting than the others.

"Don't do much else," Winter shrugged, touching fists with the soldier in greeting.

"Look at this show pony mother fucker," Dusk muttered under her breath as the first trickle of Tenpenny Tower residents began to ride up the road. Amata had heard about some of them wanting to come back and settle into their normal lives, and she was just happy she wasn't one of the people who had to explain to them that this wasn't going to be the case.

One man, dressed in a black, pristine suit on the biggest horse Amata had ever seen, had dropped down and promptly began to rebuke the first soldier he saw.

"You will be referring me to who I can see about making claims to damage and relocation to other accommodation!" the man insisted, jabbing a finger under the young soldier's nose. The soldier was a short, skinny boy with a cherry nose and freckles; however his expression darkened, and he shoved the jabbing hand aside. Amata, Winter, and Dusk all sat on their horses and watched it unfold as yet another argument was born on the steps of Tenpenny Tower. After a few minutes, they got bored with it and abandoned the soldier to the man's arguing. After all, they had a schedule to keep.

"Good luck!" the rich man spat, "My business partners and I will be relocating to the north!"

"Nobody gives a fuck, buddy!" Dusk yelled.

"Dusk!" Lyons snapped, "Don't aggravate the locals. We're moving out now, before you and the other maniacs of this company start another war."

"So, all of them are gonna go north?" Amata asked Lyons.

"Maybe," she sighed, "It wasn't my decision to kick everybody out. We were only after Tenpenny… but I can see why the higher-ups wanted this place. It's also a good foothold for the south-west."

They arrived in Megaton after a few days of easy travelling. Each day was just like travelling in a little town. The military environment of Dog Company had been partially snuffed out, the tension that had been there on the way to the Tower was gone now, and everyone seemed just to want to go home. Every soldier was still in their uniform, albeit in a little bit of disarray. Amata chatted with a few soldiers, mingling with the medics and asking as many questions as she could about enlisting, boot camp, and learning the medical side of the job.

It was clear that Winter was going to be a soldier; she was just wired to be that way. Unfortunately, was a small part of her that just wanted to practise medicine and perfect the craft in Megaton, before she tried to help someone bleeding out in the middle of a battlefield. It made sense to her that if something went wrong, she could shout for another doctor in another room, and not have to worry about people trying to kill her, or the doctor not being able to hear her from the gunfire. She wanted to be a medic, all she wanted to do during that entire fight was to help the wounded, but she wanted to make sure that she deserved the job, and didn't wander into it just assuming that she would be able to work well under pressure. She wanted to know every little procedure like the back of her hand before she even enlisted, then she could worry about cleaning rifles and keeping her head while under pressure. The medical part of basic training would just come naturally.

That would mean finding a way to convince Winter to wait. Dusk and Lyons had been talking non stop about enlistment to Winter, and it was clear it was working. After their dinner last night she was buzzing about it and wouldn't shut up about it long after they'd returned to their room. The idea of being separated from her for months made Amata feel sick; she wanted to be around to make sure that she was alright. But, she would have time before they enlisted. She'd talk with Winter, and they'd make a plan so they'd both enlist at the same time. They'd figure something out, Amata was sure of it.

Trotting slowly up the road leading to Megaton was a huge relief. Despite the easy ride home, and the nice few days in the tower before that, Amata still longed for a few peaceful, lazy days with her girl.

"I don't care how uncomfortable our bed is when we lie in it," Winter leant back in her saddle, "I'm going to sleep like a rock tonight."

"Won't matter to me, I'll end up sleeping on top of you anyways," Amata joked, "Let's hope you can get Dogmeat back this afternoon, and Harden didn't get too attached."

"Hey, Dusky," Winter called, putting the heels into her horse and somewhat clumsily setting it out into a canter to catch Dusk's attention, "When're you and Ly heading back to the Citadel?"

"Probably tomorrow morning," Dusk answered, "Wouldn't be too much to ask for shelter?"

Amata cringed at the thought, but she still understood the necessity of it. They'd been travelling, eating, and sleeping in the middle of a military camp for days now. To say no to housing two soldiers that they got along with so well, it would just be an insult. Dusk and Lyons stayed behind to help give out orders to soldiers as they began to set up camp in Springvale for the night, while Winter and Amata rode home.

"Home sweet home," Winter groaned as they walked through the door, "God I missed how quiet this place is."

Amata took a step forward and frowned when her boot stepped onto something inconsistent with the hardwood flooring. Lifting her boot, she found one envelope with Winter's name on it.

"Mail," she declared as Winter tossed their bags onto the couch.

"For who?"

"For you, Doof," she scooped the letter up and tossed it at her. Winter caught it and ripped it open before her shoulder's immediately sagged.

"What've you got?"

"Letter from Dad," Winter said, "Another one."

"Another one? I thought the last one was pretty definitive?"

"Ah he's just an asshole," she sighed, scanning the letter before a small smile played at her lips, "Huh, 'I was drunk' where have I heard that before?"

"It's definitely from him?"

"Yep," she loudly muttered while giving her an impatient look.

"No need to be an asshole."

"I'm sorry," she ripped the letter in half before putting an arm around her and kissing her cheek.

"What'd he want?"

"He wrote the last letter when he was drunk and wants to apologise and see me."

"Let me read-"

"No!" she insisted, ripping the pages out of reach and holding them above her head.

"Jesus, okay!" Amata laughed, "What's in there?"

"Nothing! I just… fuck it. I just wanna forget him. I wanted to find him so I could find someplace safe for you and me, but we're safe and somewhat set up now. So fuck him. I don't need him."

"Are you okay? You're sweating."

"I'm fine," she muttered, turning away and waving the thing aside.

"Don't be like this today, come on," Amata sighed, "Don't go off into your head and be shitty."

"I'm not being shitty!" she shouted, "Fuck."

"Hey!"

"Just let me be shitty about my asshole Dad, alright?"

"I would let you be shitty all day long if you didn't take it out on me."

"Fuck off with that bullshit, I'm trying to read shit, and you kept asking me shit."

Amata cocked her head back and took a deep breath, bringing her hands together in a prayer position to compose herself before she spoke, "I don't know… what it is about you and your Dad… but whenever the topic is brought up… you go from the best person in my life to the biggest pain in the ass in like one second. It's like flipping a switch."

"I'm sorry for my baggage."

"I'm aware of the goddamn baggage, we all have goddamn baggage, it isn't an excuse for you being a shit! Don't try and turn it around; I'm mad at you for yelling at me, not for you having a bad relationship with your Dad."

"No, because you wanted to know everything about it!"

"Because I love you, dumbass!" she shouted, "I love you, and I've been dealing with your emotional shit for nineteen years!"

"And I've been saving your ass from an ass kicking for nineteen years!"

"Is this a bad time?"

"Fuck!" Winter cringed at the soldier poking her head out from into the room, "Dusk you scared the shit out of me."

"I'll… come back later… was just going to drop my stuff off and leave…"

"No, it's fine. I'm gonna check on Simms," Amata scratched the top of her head, "And to drop off the supplies I didn't use. C'mon, you should say hi too."

"Sure," Winter muttered, tossing the letter in the trash and following her out the door.

"Goddamn it, Winter," Amata sighed, shutting the door behind them as they walked, "If you think I'm gonna stand by and let you be cranky and snippy at me when you're in a bad mood then you've got another thing coming."

"Alright, alright, I'm working on it."

"Work harder. We're gonna have a nice night tonight, alright?"

"Alright."

"And I know all I have to do is make you laugh once, and your mood will just change entirely, and you'll be happy. But I don't want to have to do that."

"I know. You shouldn't have to make me laugh to stop me from being an asshole to you."

"Exactly. You're not my toddler, despite how much I call you 'baby'. I'll make you laugh when you're in a shitty mood by yourself, though. I'll do that all day long."

"I'm sorry, Amata."

"I know," she sighed, reaching forward and snatching her hand while still keeping a pissed off expression. That was all it took to make her girl laugh.

"That was the most aggressive form of affection you've ever given me," Winter giggled.

"Good!" she shouted as they approached the clinic door, but with a smile that made Winter know she was joking.

"I'll make it up to you," Winter said, "We'll go out for dinner tonight. Just you and me."

"Make it up to me by doing that and working on your temper," Amata pointed out.

"I can do both."

"Good, now smile and act like you aren't a cranky little doofus- oh shit."

"What?"

"Make it up to me as well, by not being an asshole to Jacob."

"What're you- oh!" Winter turned and took a step back so the approaching Jacob could have proper access to the clinic door, "Hey Jacob."

Jacob only grunted and walked past them both, opening the door to the clinic and leaving it ajar for them to follow.

Walking into the clinic, they immediately knew that something was wrong. Church came running into the room, shutting the door to the primary patient room behind him and keeping his back pressed against it. Instead of speaking, the otherwise very collected doctor was silent and seemed to be unsure of himself. After a few seconds of silence, Jacob took an almost meek step forward and spoke.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, "Did Simms pass?"

"No," he began, "Simms is fine… just… sit down for a minute."

"The fuck's going on?" the young deputy insisted.

"Sit… down," Church repeated.

Jacob reluctantly found a seat and glared up at him irritably, "What?"

Church brought both of his hands up to cover his mouth as he went into deep thought. What could have been so bad, that Church refused to look any of them in the eye?

After another excruciating few seconds that felt like years, Church's fingers left "You remember Lucas' brother, David; he was looking after Hardy?"

"Yeah?" Jacob frowned, "Why?"

"The kid came running into my clinic this morning, screaming and bleeding."

"What happened?"

Church gave a wary glance through the frosted glass of the door, behind which was where Lucas slept. Behind the door, Amata heard the sound of Dogmeat yipping and what sounded like gentle crying.

"The guy… molested the kid."

"Aw fuck!" Amata spat.

Jacob had a different reaction, pivoting his body and slamming his fist into the drywall and ripping it out just as quickly, leaving behind a gaping hole into the break room and scaring the ever loving shit out of a doctor on break.

"Where?!" Jacob shouted, "Where?!"

Winter shook her head and ran both hands through her hair. She found a seat in the waiting room and hunched herself over, bouncing her knee against the floor erratically. Amata reached over and put her hand on her shoulder as Winter tried to process it.

"I'm gonna fucking hang him!" Jacob screamed.

"Relax, Jacob," Church snapped, "Simms is in and out of it, he barely knows what happened. You screaming the place down isn't going to help Simms or Hardy. We have the force looking out for him."

"Where?"

"Someone said they were heading up to the apartment complex, a couple of miles to the south of Springvale, back the way you came."

Jacob left after that, and Winter was right behind him.

"Where're you going?" Amata asked.

"I'm gonna go look for him, you should help Church look after the kid," Winter said, "He's in a dark fucking place right now, he needs someone like you to be with him. You make it better."

"Fuck that," Amata dismissed the idea, "You and I are joining the hunting party."

Any thought of a nice shower and a nap after a long ride was gone, as they mounted up. They took off at a gallop after Jacob, riding as hard as they could until they found the deputies' horses tied up at the entrance to the apartment complex.

"What the fuck're you guys doing?!" Jacob yelled at the group of deputies as they ran in, "Why're you just sitting in the lobby?!"

"Relax," a deputy ordered, "We're thinking of a plan."

"He's definitely in here?"

"Izzy found him just fine," he smiled, gesturing to the dog sitting beside him, "Look, there's something like eighty rooms in this place. We have guys looking around the perimeter, but it's gonna take a while to kick down all these doors. Eight floors, I figure we go up in pairs and work through one floor each."

"Fine. Winter and Amata, take floor two."

"Got it," Winter said, spinning on her heel and making a run for the staircase, "C'mon Amata, we've gotta move!"

This was different from the fighting Amata had experienced before. She wasn't calm, but she wasn't afraid either. Her heart was racing, thudding away wildly in her ears, and all she felt was anger. Door after door exploded and leapt away as Winter's boot slammed into it. Again, and again, and again, room after room after room, they searched. Each empty room only made them both more agitated. Finally, kicking in one door revealed a terrified face of a broken man. Despite their rampage through the building, they both stopped at this, stunned at how afraid he was.

David's hands were empty, but when he saw that Winter wasn't doing anything, he quickly made a jerking motion for his belt.

"Don't fucking do it!" Winter shouted.

"No!" he winced, reaching his hands up in protest, "I'm sorry! It was a mistake! I won't do it again, I swear! I'm sorry!"

"You're sorry," Winter laughed at the audacity. All it took was three strides to get to him and to deliver one swift kick to his chest. It immediately took all the wind out of him and sent him slumping back against the wall, which Winter used to her advantage by grabbing hold of his neck and slamming his head against the wall.

"He trusted you," she snarled, "You piece of fucking shit!"

"Don't!" he gasped.

"He deserved better than this," Winter muttered, placing her other hand on his neck and beginning to squeeze. David began to struggle then, reaching his hands up and gripping Winter's sides to try and push her off.

"No," she muttered, putting her weight into her feet and pressing forward, "He won't be afraid anymore."

"Winter," Amata reached forward and gripped her shoulder, "Winter, ease off. He needs to live."

"Please," David wheezed, his eyes going red and full of tears.

"Winter, stop," Amata repeated, "Winter, don't fucking kill him!"

"You're nothing," she continued, "You're a miserable, lonely piece of shit, you can't make this right. Nothing you can do will make what you did right."

"Winter fucking stop it!" Amata shouted, hooking her arms underneath her girl's armpits and hoisting her backward.

"No!" she grunted, still keeping her vice grip and continuing to strangle David. Thankfully, their commotion had drawn Jacob's attention, who came running into the room to help.

"Winter?" Jacob shouted, "Hey! Let him go!"

Jacob shoved Amata aside and tried to hoist Winter off. Winter reacted violently, elbowing Jacob in his side and refusing to let go.

"Stop it!" Amata begged. She put herself physically between David and Winter, grabbing her by the shoulder and getting right in her face, "Winter, fucking stop it!"

Once Winter's wild blue eyes finally focused on her, Winter's whole body relaxed, and the look of vengeance on her face melted into shock. Her hands released from David's neck and the man slumped down, making very concerning wheezing and squeaking noises. Amata began to suspect that the kick Winter delivered to his chest had done more damage than perhaps she had intended.

"Get him to the goddamn infirmary!" Jacob shouted at another deputy, "If any of you kill him, you'll lose your goddamn badges. He'll hang soon enough."

Jacob slammed Winter face first onto the ground, "Hands behind your back."

"Jacob," Amata stammered, "Wait for just a second."

"You stupid fucking idiot," Jacob scowled, "When I tell you to do something, you do it."

"Jacob!"

"I said to capture him alive!" he shouted, binding Winter's hands and hoisting her up, "Let's go."

"I'm sorry," was all Winter could manage, but she wasn't looking at Jacob, she was looking at Amata.

"It's okay," she whispered. Winter looked so small compared to Jacob, and all Amata wanted to do was rip her away from him and protect her. She'd never seen that look in her eyes before, not that bad. He practically dragged her to his horse and threw her across it, tying her down and in place.

"What the fuck happened?" a deputy shouted.

"Shut up! All of you!" Jacob screamed, "Let's get the fuck to Megaton."

"Amata," Winter cried out.

"Jacob…" Amata began to call out, but she didn't say anything more. Asking to untie Winter would be a useless thing to request at this point. Winter had done too much, and Jacob was far too pissed off.

The ride back to Megaton was deathly silent; even Winter barely said a word. She didn't appear to be struggling against her binds, but she was struggling to be comfortable. The riders carrying David back were miles ahead, and would probably arrive around half an hour before Jacob and Amata.

They rode past Springvale camp, where a couple of Dog Company soldiers recognised Winter and began to talk amongst themselves. Before Amata could ask one of them to find her, she spotted Lyons in the crowd, watching what was happening and quickly disappearing into a nearby tent. For a moment, Amata considered following her and asking for help directly, but that would mean leaving Winter alone with an extremely pissed off Jacob, which Amata was not prepared to do at this point.

She waited until they had gotten back to Megaton, where Jacob ripped Winter off of his horse and began to guide her to her cell. Amata was right on his heels and began to make her case.

"Jacob just let me talk to her, just let me-"

"Get the fuck away from me."

"No listen to me, she's just had a complete fucking breakdown I need to be near her! Hey!"

Jacob tossed Winter into the station into the arms of another deputy before turning around.

"Get the fuck off of me," Jacob ordered, "You'll see her when I say you can see her."

"Listen, don't take what happened out on us. You're mad, and I get it, but… look I just need to see if she's alright."

"I don't let people charged with attempted murder get visitation."

The charge hit Amata like a punch in the gut.

"You can't charge her with that," Amata said immediately, "You can't charge her with that! It was a goddamn bounty job!"

"I never said it was. I told her to back off, and she didn't. She's a civilian caught strangling a man almost to death. That's attempted murder, no matter what that piece of shit did."

A wave of nausea struck Amata that made her take a step back.

"What happens now?"

"I don't give a fuck about you," Jacob laughed incredulously, "Go home. I don't give a fuck."

"What's going to happen to Winter?!" she shouted.

Jacob only shrugged, "Attempted is typically hard labour for a couple of years. If he dies… well…" he seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"No," Amata dismissed it, "No you can't!"

"Amata!" Lyons shouted, running down the ramp to the station with Dusk right behind her, "What happened? Is this about that wanted person's hunt?"

Lyons. Lyons could make this alright.

"Winter almost killed the guy, she's in there for attempted murder, and I can't get to her," she sniffed, voice cracking and squeaking.

Lyons turned to Jacob, who was already walking for the clinic.

"Deputy, stop," Lyons walked forward while Dusk gripped Amata's arm.

"Just stay still for a minute," Dusk said softly, "It's going to be alright."

"She kicked him in the chest," Amata said, "As hard as she could."

Just the very thought of seeing Winter hang made it all so real. Her legs gave out, and thankfully Dusk managed to catch her before she fell.

"Don't worry," Dusk assured her, "Lyons will fix it. You don't have to worry."

Amata couldn't help but cry, then. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, and having Winter so close, in such immediate danger, and not being able to do anything about it, was sickening to her. All she could do was sit there beside Dusk and wait.

After what felt like hours, Lyons came back carrying Dogmeat in her arms, and she didn't look happy.

Don't cry, Amata ordered herself.

"Get Amata and the puppy home," Lyons murmured to Dusk while putting the dog in her comrade's arms.

"No!" Amata screamed.

"Relax; nothing's going to happen!" Lyons insisted, "We're going to figure this out. Dusk, get Amata home."

"Got it."

"Don't let her hang, Lyons! Please!" she begged.

Lyons didn't answer her; instead, she straightened out her cap and went inside.

/

Winter sat on the bed in her cell and had all the time in the world to think. All the time in the world to think about what she'd done, and what the consequences would be. David deserved to die, and he would die. Jacob would calm down, and she'd… she didn't know what would happen to her. Winter lifted her legs up and hugged her knees while she thought. She hated being alone like this. She wanted someone to talk to, someone she could make a plan with… someone who Winter could swear she heard crying just outside the station.

This was her father's fault… no… no, it was her fault. This was all her fault. She made a choice. She chose to do what she did.

Now she wanted to know what was going to happen to her. If David didn't die… she would probably be fine. If he did die… because of what she did…

"Yelp," the deputy at the desk sighed, "He's dead, kid."

"What?" she leapt up from her bed and peeked outside the bars.

"Just saw him being carried out in a box, dead as a doornail."

"Oh shit," she slumped down, her knees banging against the hard ground.

"Hey, don't be too worried, I wouldn't be. Killing a kiddie raper isn't really something you get hanged for nowadays. You still don't do it, but… you know."

"What's going to happen to me?"

"Probably some years of hard labour, if they spare you the gallows."

"He… he goddamn molested the sheriff's kid! I didn't kill him, I beat the shit out of him, but I didn't kill him!"

"He died from his injuries, I'd say."

"I don't get a pass?!"

The deputy just helplessly shrugged, "You'd have to ask either Jacob of Simms, but at the end of the day… you killed the sheriff's brother. Despite what the piece of shit did, I doubt he wants to allow his people to think they can dole out their own justice without a trial."

"Fuck…"

"Relax, kid. I doubt you'll hang for this; wait until they figure out what to do with you."

"When can I have visitors?"

"I don't know. Soon, maybe? Depends on what's happening tomorrow morning."

"Oh fuck," she pushed herself off of the bars and stumbled back into her bed. She could die tomorrow morning. She could only have a few more hours left.

She sat in complete silence, knees resting on her chin and hugging herself close. Her entire future, the life she was so excitedly building with the girl she adored, it was all gone now. Snuffed out. Just the thought of dying didn't bother her; it was the brutal, almost claustrophobic agony of everything she wasn't going to be able to do. She wasn't going to join the BoS; she wasn't going to grow old, she wasn't going to get married or have kids…

Just as Winter laid her head down to rest, she heard the door open, and a set of heavy boots walk in.

"No visitors," the deputy at the desk grunted.

"Jacob said it was okay."

"Lyons?!" Winter flung herself against the jail cell door, "What're you doing here?"

"Hey, Daniels." the soldier smiled, "I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

Lyons grabbed a chair and carried it to the front of her cell, "About what we're going to do from here."

"I'm sorry. I messed up really bad, but I don't want to die for this! It was a really bad mistake, but he did so much worse!"

"It's alright," Lyons promised, "Hell if I was you… I don't know if I would have done the same thing, but I doubt I wouldn't have hit him."

"Everybody would have hit him," the deputy confirmed, "She just got to him first."

Lyons looked behind her shoulder and gave the deputy a look that was hard enough for him to shut up. Once Lyons stared at him for a few more seconds, she turned around and was back to her warm, reassuring expression, "I spoke with the Sheriff."

"Lucas?"

"Yeah. We had a long talk about what to do with you."

"I don't want to die, Lyons."

"You're not going to die," she promised, "You have two options."

"Two options?"

"First option is a work camp up north for ten years."

Winter dipped her head and gave out a miserable sob. Ten years. She'd be 29 when she got out. What would she have when she left? Amata wouldn't stick around, not for ten years. She'd find someone better, someone who wouldn't fly off the handle like she did.

"Easy, I know," Lyons reached out and put her hand on her shoulder, "Second option is the BoS."

"BoS?" she sniffed, "Like, joining?"

"Yeah. We'll take you out of the department's hands and sign you up. You'll go through basic training and become a soldier."

"Will I… will I be treated different for what I've done?"

"We won't throw you in a cell at night, no," Lyons chuckled, "But, you'll be locked into a four-year commitment, same as everybody else who signs up. That means you gotta work for us for four years, unless… you know… you're seriously hurt or killed."

Winter nodded, "Will I see combat?"

"Most assuredly, unless you want to be a Scribe but frankly, I'd see that as a huge waste of talent. You were going to join anyway, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then take this chance. It's four years; you're going to be 23 when you get out. You get leave, you can see Amata for a few days once every few months or every few weeks. If you hate it by the end, you walk out with a shitload of life experience and enough money to buy a really nice house in a place that isn't a giant hole in the ground."

Winter coughed out a laugh as the panic that was like ice in her veins slowly began to fade away.

"It's your life, Daniels, and I'm not going to say the BoS is easy. It's hard. It's incredibly hard, but you'll be making a difference, not rotting away in a cell for ten years."

"I'm fucking scared, Lyons."

"I know, and I would be too if I were you. You made a mistake, kid, and unfortunately, we have to pay for our mistakes. You can either pay for it by being stuck in a camp dismantling some junk some sorry bastard found in a cave somewhere, or you can actually make the world a better, safer place. I don't know about you, but I know which one I'd pick."

"Alright."

"Alright, but listen to me," she leant in so they were as close as they could get between the bars, "That temper of yours, it's going to get you killed. Doesn't matter what kind of life you had before, or why you're the way you are. I mean, it does, but whatever you've been through, it doesn't change what happened to the guy that you killed. You're going to walk out of the BoS with discipline, restraint, and a cool head. If I see that you're throwing punches at your comrades for no good reason, you're done. You understand?"

"I understand."

"Alright. You're a good kid, Daniels. You're going to be fine."

"So what happens now?"

"You're in my custody."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Jacob?" the deputy questioned.

Winter peeked her head through the bars and cringed when she saw Jacob staring at her.

"Luckiest day of your life, Daniels," he muttered, trudging up and unlocking the cell door.

"Much appreciated," Lyons nodded respectfully, then addressed Winter, "Turn around and put your hands behind your back."

"What?" Winter frowned.

"Daniels…" she sighed impatiently.

"Oh, yeah… sure, of course," she turned around and obeyed. She felt metal cuffs being tightened around her wrists and Lyons putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Alright, c'mon," Lyons grunted, "Let's get you out of here."

"Will I be able to say goodbye to Amata?" Winter asked urgently as the door to the station slammed shut behind them.

"Oh yeah, we aren't leaving until tomorrow morning," Lyons dismissed it, guiding Winter towards their house by hooking an arm underneath Winter's, "The cuffs are just for show… but if I wake up tomorrow morning and find you've run off on me, I'll hunt you down."

"Jesus, I wasn't planning on it."

"I know, I just want you to know where we stand on that."

"I'm not running, I promise. I'm gonna make this right."

"Good, that's a good first step."

They arrived at Winter and Amata's house, with Lyons unhooking her arm from underneath Winter's and knocking on the front door. Dusk answered, her face lighting up when she saw Winter.

"Shh!" Lyons hissed, "Come out here."

Dusk quickly shut the door behind her and nodded, "What's the plan?"

"You and I are going to make ourselves scarce for a few hours," Lyons said as she uncuffed Winter's wrists, "Daniels is going to have a talk with Amata about what's going to happen. I don't think we should be here for it."

"Got it."

"Does she know?"

"I said it would be an option. She doesn't know Daniels has been released yet."

"Where is she?" Winter asked.

"She's upstairs, I told her to get some rest and she's bathing the dog," she chuckled, "She likes to keep busy."

"Yeah," Winter chuckled. She turned to Lyons and held out her hand to shake, "Thank you."

"It's not a problem," she held out her hand and gripped it, "Don't make me regret this, Daniels."

"You won't. I swear."

Lyons gave her one single, hard nod before letting go and leaving with Dusk.

Winter gripped the door handle tight and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself and keep calm before she spoke to Amata. She would be furious with her, she needed to be prepared for that.

Amata was waiting at the door and leapt at her. She crashed into Winter and gripped her into a tight bear hug and immediately started to break down. Whatever resolve Winter had before opening the door immediately shattered, holding onto her just as tight and bringing them both down onto the floor.

"I'm sorry," Winter whispered, "I love you, I'm so fucking sorry."

"I love you," Amata sobbed, "Just stay here with me. Don't let go of me. Not right now."

"I won't," she promised, "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she wept into her shoulder, "I love you so much, I love you so fucking much!"

"I love you too, baby," she murmured, pressing an urgent kiss to her cheek.

Just holding her was a luxury Winter thought she'd never get to have again. The feeling of her heart thudding desperately against hers, the way her hair tickled her nose, the way her breath skimmed across her neck, it was something that Winter wasn't prepared to have as only a memory.

"Listen to me," Amata said, straining to not sound too emotional when they broke apart, "You have to go."

"I know. Not now."

"Not now. Tomorrow morning," she agreed, "But you have to go. You have to go, and you have to train. You have to learn discipline, you have to learn to work with your temper."

She took Winter's face in her hands and brought her close, so close their foreheads were touching.

"You're the best thing in my life," Amata said, "You're my soul mate, but there's a part of you, a part you were born with, or a part that grew on you, I don't know. All I know is, if something isn't done to get rid of it, it's going to kill you, or it's going to take everything from you. I love you more than anything in this world, and all I want is for that thing, that little part that turns your brain off, I want it to go away. I want you to kill it."

"I will. I sw-"

"Don't. Don't you dare make a promise to me that you aren't ready to keep. You promise me, you promise me that on our future together, you take this training and you fix it."

"I swear," she said immediately, "On our future together, on my love for you, I won't make you go through this again. I swear."

Amata nodded and pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"Do you…" Winter began to ask before trailing off.

"Do I what?"

"Nothing."

"No, what?"

Winter looked down and ran a hand through her hair, "I don't know… do you still…"

"What?"

"Do you still love me? Like… do you still love me like… more than what we were before we left the Vault. Do you still want to be with me?"

The absolute terror in Winter's eyes as she seemed to cringe away, expecting the worst answer, broke Amata's heart all over again.

"Oh… baby, of course I do," she reached forward and gathered her in her arms, wrapping her arms around Winter's front and pressing her back against Amata's chest, "I want us to be together, I want us to have a future together, it's all I want. We're going to be apart for a little while, but it's all for the best. I'm going to study, and you're going to train. We'll come back to one another stronger. We're gonna be alright, you'll see."

"No-" she groaned, trying to break out of her arms, "This is my fault, I'm supposed to be comforting you, not-"

"Shh," she whispered, pressing another kiss against her temple and continuing to hold her, slowly rocking their bodies back and forth.

Once Amata's fingers began to weave and slowly glide through her hair, she felt her lover break once more. Her shoulders began to quiver as she cried, her face buried against the joint of her arm as she cried. It was a clumsy, awkward hold, but neither of them cared.

"I'm sorry…" Winter wept again, much quieter this time as she rested in her arms.

"You're going to be alright, my love," she soothed, "We're both going to be alright."


End file.
